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Midfield star forced off
The 22-year-old lasted just minutes into the second half of Tuesday's thrilling 3-2 triumph over Roma. Visibly distressed and appearing to be in tears, Baleba required on-pitch treatment before eventually withdrawing with a suspected hamstring problem.
Secured from Brighton for £70 million over the summer, his sudden absence delivers a bitter pill to swallow for a squad already struggling for consistency.
Carrick confirms absence
Speaking to the media on Friday, United boss Michael Carrick offered a bleak update on the player's fitness. While the medical team is still assessing the full extent of the damage, the 45-year-old conceded that his star midfielder is facing a significant rehabilitation period.
"We don't know exactly, but it'll be a number of weeks," Carrick told reporters when pressed on a potential recovery timeline.
He subsequently ruled the summer signing out of their immediate fixtures, adding: "It's definitely not this week and it won't be any time over the international break. It'll be a little bit longer than that."
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Turning a corner
Prior to their continental success against Roma, United were enduring a dismal nine-match winless streak. That dramatic midweek victory has slightly lifted the gloom around Old Trafford, though Carrick remains grounded about the task ahead.
"It's up to us to take it forward," the head coach insisted. "It was a fantastic night. As a one-off night, it was a fantastic night. It was nice for the supporters to end like that and to have that feeling. For sure, it was a good night for us all."
He cautioned against complacency, urging his squad to use the result as a springboard. "Nothing's done yet," he concluded. "Nothing is achieved yet, and it's one moment really in time that we need to use and we need to we need to yeah, we need to use to move forward. But we need more of it, for sure."
Villa test awaits
With Baleba unavailable, Carrick must quickly reshuffle his midfield pack ahead of a crucial Premier League clash. The Red Devils welcome Aston Villa to Old Trafford on Sunday, desperately needing maximum points to salvage their domestic campaign.
Currently languishing just above the relegation zone, United face immense pressure to translate their European grit into league form. Securing consecutive victories will be essential for building much-needed momentum before the impending international break.