Since the summer of 2022 Manchester United have splashed out a total of £219.7 million on eight new defenders, yet the quartet that could line up for the opening match this weekend may be the very same back four that started the season four years ago. On 7 August 2022 Erik ten Hag’s first‑team sheet featured the newly‑signed Argentine centre‑back Lisandro Martínez – a £56.7 million acquisition – alongside Harry Maguire, Luke Shaw and Diogo Dalot. United went on to lose 2‑1 to Brighton. Fast‑forward to 2026 and, in six of Michael Carrick’s 17 Premier League games so far, the manager has again opted for that exact defensive line‑up, and the same could happen on Saturday when United meet Hull City.
Although the club has seen countless changes in personnel, coaching staff and tactical approach, those four players have persisted – albeit with varying degrees of consistency. In the four‑year span they have only managed to start together ten times, and even then roughly sixty per cent of those appearances have come under Carrick’s stewardship. A mixture of injuries, suspensions and managerial preferences has prevented the quartet from establishing a regular rhythm. The initial two fixtures in which Martínez, Maguire, Shaw and Dalot started together ended in disappointment – a 4‑0 drubbing at the hands of Brentford being the most painful.
They were not fielded as a unit again until 30 October 2022, when United secured a 1‑0 victory over West Ham. Since then the back line has been rotated frequently. Tyrell Malacia, who arrived in the summer of 2022, as well as new signings Raphael Varane and Victor Lindelöf, have been interspersed with the core four depending on form and fitness. Maguire, in particular, found himself on the bench for large portions of the 2022/23 campaign and even missed a month with a hamstring problem.
Both Martínez and Dalot also endured spells on the sidelines due to various injuries, although Dalot’s injury record has been relatively mild compared with his teammates. Martínez’s situation has been the most turbulent.
The Argentine spent most of the first half of the 2023/24 season nursing a foot injury, then suffered a catastrophic ACL rupture in February 2025. After nine months of rehabilitation he finally returned to action in November 2025. Shaw’s injury woes have been equally relentless; across the 2023/24 and 2024/25 seasons he managed just 27 appearances in all competitions, often being shuffled in and out of the squad.
The summer of 2024 saw the departures of Varane and Aaron Wan‑Bissaka, while three new defenders – Leny Yoro, Noussair Mazraoui and Matthijs de Ligt – were recruited. Two additional signings, Ayden Heaven and Patrick Dorgu, arrived in the January 2025 window. Despite the influx of fresh talent, a clear, settled back four never truly materialised, a problem that was exacerbated by a mid‑season managerial change.
Ten Hag left United in October 2024 and was replaced by Portuguese coach Ruben Amorim. Amorim’s fourteen‑month tenure was characterised by a rigid 3‑4‑3 system that rarely accommodated the Martínez‑Maguire‑Shaw‑Dalot combination. In December 2025, after a series of poor results, Amorim finally abandoned the three‑centre‑back set‑up and deployed a back four for the first time against Newcastle, earning a clean sheet – the first such result since early October. However, Amorim’s experiment was short‑lived; two weeks later he resigned, reportedly frustrated by the forced tactical shift.
Carrick stepped in as interim manager and immediately reinstated the familiar quartet. In his debut, United defeated city rivals Manchester City 2‑0 with Martínez, Maguire, Shaw and Dalot anchoring the defence. Carrick has since used that same line‑up on five further occasions, recording five wins and one draw, and notably never losing when those four start together. Even so, the defensive record under Carrick remains modest: only two clean sheets in those six games, and three of the victories were narrow 3‑2 affairs, indicating that the back line still concedes too many goals.
Adding to the picture, de Ligt has been sidelined since November 2025 with a persistent back problem, meaning Carrick has not had the luxury of his services, although the Dutchman returned to first‑team training this week. Since Dorgu’s arrival eighteen months ago there have been no major defensive reinforcements.
Malacia departed in the summer, while Lindelöf and long‑serving veteran Jonny Evans left last year. If Carrick wishes to maintain his preferred structure, he may soon need to explore the market for additional options, particularly at left‑back, a position where Shaw’s age (over 30) and injury record make rotation inevitable. Pre‑season observations suggest United are evolving tactically.
Under Carrick the team has shifted from a deep, compact defensive block to a higher‑pressing, counter‑pressing approach, aiming to win the ball back quickly after losing possession. This change was evident in a pre‑season friendly against Amorim’s Milan side, where United’s high line was exposed and a fourth goal resulted from a simple pass over the top of a vulnerable defence.
The match highlighted the urgent need for a reliable left‑back. Shaw, now in his early thirties, cannot be expected to shoulder the workload of a high‑press system alone. Fans have expressed interest in seeing Dorgu deployed in that role, but so far he has primarily featured as a left winger under Carrick. Converting him into a full‑back could provide the pace and stamina required for the intensified pressing style, while also offering depth for the congested fixture list that includes European commitments.
Age is another factor that cannot be ignored. Maguire and Shaw are both past the typical peak years for a defender, while Martínez (28) and Dalot (27) are still in what is generally considered a player’s prime.
The question remains whether the older duo can adapt to yet another tactical overhaul without a dip in performance. In summary, Manchester United have undergone massive turnover in the transfer market and coaching staff, yet the defensive core has remained remarkably unchanged.
The Martínez‑Maguire‑Shaw‑Dalot combination still represents a viable option for Carrick, but the sustainability of that setup is uncertain. Injuries, age, tactical demands and the lack of significant recent signings suggest that United may need to act soon if they wish to solidify a back line capable of supporting their ambitions in the Premier League and Europe.