Since the summer of 2022 Manchester United have splashed out roughly £219.7 million on eight new defenders, yet the back‑four that could line up for the opening match this weekend may be identical to the one that took the field on the first day of the campaign four seasons ago. On 7 August 2022 Erik ten Hag fielded Lisandro Martínez – a summer signing costing £56.7 million – alongside Harry Maguire, Luke Shaw and Diogo Dalot, only to suffer a 2‑1 defeat at the hands of Brighton.
Fast‑forward to 2026, and in six of his 17 Premier League fixtures Michael Carrick has again opted for that same quartet, a pattern that could repeat when United travel to Hull City on Saturday. Although United have undergone countless personnel changes, those four players have persisted, albeit with varying degrees of consistency.
In the four‑year span they have started together merely ten times, and sixty percent of those appearances have come under Carrick’s stewardship. Their early partnership was rocky – Martínez, Maguire, Shaw and Dalot lost their first two games together, including a bruising 4‑0 drubbing by Brentford. The next time they were all on the pitch together was on 30 October 2022, when United edged West Ham 1‑0. The defensive roster has been fluid.
Tyrell Malacia, who arrived in the summer of 2022, and later Raphael Varane and Victor Lindelöf, have been rotated in and out, often sharing minutes with the core four. Maguire, particularly in the early stages of the 2022/23 season, found himself on the bench and also missed a month with a hamstring problem. Both Martínez and Dalot suffered injuries that limited their availability, though Dalot’s injury record has been relatively modest compared with his teammates. Martínez’s situation has been especially precarious.
The Argentine spent most of the first half of the 2023/24 campaign nursing a foot injury, then suffered a catastrophic ACL rupture in February 2025. After nine months of rehabilitation he finally returned in November.
Shaw has also been plagued by fitness setbacks; across the 2023/24 and 2024/25 seasons he managed just 27 appearances in all competitions. The summer of 2024 saw the departures of Varane and Aaron Wan‑Bissaka, while three new faces – Leny Yoro, Noussair Mazraoui and Matthijs de Ligt – joined the club, followed by Ayden Heaven and Patrick Dorgu in January 2025.
Despite the influx of fresh talent, the back‑four has struggled to find stability, a problem compounded by a mid‑season managerial change. Ten Hag left United in October 2024 and was replaced by Portuguese coach Ruben Amorim. Amorim’s tenure lasted only 14 months, and during that period he never fielded the Martínez‑Maguire‑Shaw‑Dalot combination. A staunch advocate of a 3‑4‑3 system, Amorim initially refused to abandon the formation even when results faltered.
In December 2025, after mounting pressure, he finally deployed a traditional back‑four against Newcastle, securing United’s first clean sheet since early October. Amorim’s departure came barely two weeks later, with Carrick stepping in as interim manager. In his debut, Carrick reinstated the familiar quartet and United went on to beat city rivals Manchester City 2‑0.
He continued to rely on that defensive line for five more matches, during which United remained unbeaten (five wins, one draw). However, the defensive record was far from immaculate – only two clean sheets were kept and three of the victories were narrow 3‑2 affairs, indicating lingering vulnerabilities.
De Ligt’s long‑term back injury, which has kept him out of action since November 2025, further narrows United’s options. Though he returned to first‑team training this week, he has not been available for selection under Carrick. The club has not made any significant defensive signings since Dorgu arrived 18 months ago.
Meanwhile, Malacia departed in the summer, and Lindelöf and Jonny Evans left last year. If Carrick wishes to persist with his current defensive blueprint, he may soon need to explore the market for additional reinforcements.
Since Carrick’s arrival, United’s defensive philosophy has been to sit deep, protect the box, and stay compact – a strategy that underpinned several impressive victories. Pre‑season, however, hinted at a shift. The team has begun to press higher, work harder to win the ball back quickly after losing possession, and adopt a more aggressive counter‑pressing approach. This evolution was tested in a pre‑season friendly against Amorim’s Milan, where United’s high line was exposed and the fourth goal came from a solitary pass over an advanced defence.
The match highlighted a pressing need for a quality left‑back. Shaw, now over 30, will need rotation to cope with the increased fixture load that comes with European competition. Fans are eager to see Dorgu deployed in that role, but so far he has been utilized primarily as a left winger under Carrick. Adding a specialist left‑back could provide the pace and defensive solidity required when United’s high‑press leaves gaps at the back.
Age is another factor to consider. Maguire and Shaw are both in their early thirties, while Martínez (28) and Dalot (27) are in what is traditionally regarded as a player’s prime years.
The question remains whether they can adapt to yet another tactical shift without a drop in performance. In summary, despite a cascade of transfers, managerial changes, and tactical experiments, United’s defensive core has remained remarkably consistent. Four years on, the Martínez‑Maguire‑Shaw‑Dalot combination still offers a viable option for Carrick, but the sustainability of that setup is uncertain.
Continued injuries, the aging profile of key defenders, and the need for a more dynamic left‑back suggest that United may soon have to refresh the back line if they hope to compete on multiple fronts.