Since the summer of 2022 Manchester United have splashed out roughly £219.7 million on eight new defenders, yet the quartet that could start the opening match this weekend may be the very same four that took the field on the first day of the campaign four years ago. On 7 August 2022, Erik ten Hag deployed the newly‑signed Argentine centre‑back Lisandro Martínez – a £56.7 million acquisition – alongside Harry Maguire, Luke Shaw and Diogo Dalot. United fell 2‑1 to Brighton, and that back‑four has resurfaced on several occasions since. Fast‑forward to 2026: Michael Carrick, now acting as caretaker manager, has selected Martínez, Maguire, Shaw and Dalot for six of his 17 Premier League fixtures, and he may repeat the formula against Hull City on Saturday.
Despite the constant churn of personnel around Old Trafford, these four players have remained a constant, albeit one that has struggled with consistency. In the four‑year span they have only started together ten times, and sixty percent of those appearances have come under Carrick’s stewardship.
Their early partnership was rocky – the pair suffered defeats in their first two outings, including a painful 4‑0 loss to Brentford. They did not line up together again until 30 October 2022, when United edged West Ham 1‑0. During that period, other defenders were shuffled in and out.
Tyrell Malacia, who arrived in the summer of 2022, along with Raphael Varane and Victor Lindelöf, were rotated alongside the core four. Maguire found himself on the bench for much of the 2022/23 season and missed a month with a hamstring problem.
Both Martínez and Dalot also endured injury spells, though Dalot’s setbacks have been relatively minor compared with the Argentine’s and Shaw’s. Martínez spent the first half of the 2023/24 season nursing a foot injury, then suffered a devastating ACL rupture in February 2025. He only returned to first‑team action in November after nine months of rehabilitation.
Shaw’s injury record has been equally patchy; across the 2023/24 and 2024/25 campaigns he managed just 27 appearances in all competitions, often being rotated in and out of the squad. The summer of 2024 saw further upheaval. Varane and Aaron Wan‑Bissaka departed, while three new faces – Leny Yoro, Noussair Mazraoui and Matthijs de Ligt – were signed, with Ayden Heaven and Patrick Dorgu arriving in the January 2025 window. Despite the influx, the back‑four remained unsettled, a situation compounded by a mid‑season managerial change.
Ten Hag left in October 2024 and was replaced by Portuguese coach Ruben Amorim, who lasted only fourteen months and never fielded the Martínez‑Maguire‑Shaw‑Dalot combination. Amorim was a vocal advocate of a 3‑4‑3 system and resisted switching to a four‑man defence, even as results faltered. In December 2025 he finally abandoned the three‑back shape, opting for a back four against Newcastle and securing a clean sheet – the first such result since early October. Yet his tenure ended less than two weeks later, with Carrick stepping back in as interim boss.
Carrick’s first game in charge saw him revert to Martínez, Maguire, Shaw and Dalot, a line‑up that helped United beat city rivals Manchester City 2‑0. He has since used that quartet five more times, achieving five wins and one draw, though only two of those matches produced clean sheets. Three of the victories were narrow 3‑2 affairs, highlighting lingering defensive frailties.
De Ligt’s long‑term back injury, which has kept him out since November 2025, further limits Carrick’s options. Although the Dutch defender returned to first‑team training this week, he has not been match‑fit for over a year. Meanwhile, the club has not added any major defensive reinforcements since Dorgu’s arrival 18 months ago. Malacia left in the most recent summer window, and Lindelöf and Jonny Evans departed last season.
If Carrick wishes to maintain his current tactical approach, he will likely need to explore the transfer market again. Since his arrival, United have tended to defend compactly just inside their own box, a strategy that produced several impressive victories.
However, pre‑season fixtures have shown a shift toward a higher line and a more aggressive press‑and‑counter‑press style, aiming to win the ball back quickly after losing possession. The pre‑season test against Amorim’s Milan side exposed the risks of this approach. United’s high line was caught out, conceding a fourth goal after a single pass over a vulnerable defence.
The episode underlined the pressing need for a reliable left‑back. Shaw, now over 30, will need rotation to cope with the increased workload that European competition brings.
Fans are eager to see Dorgu feature in that role, but he has primarily been deployed as a left winger under Carrick. Adding a specialist left‑back could provide the pace and recovery ability required when the high line is breached. Age is another factor to consider: Maguire and Shaw are both past the 30‑year mark, while Martínez (28) and Dalot (27) are in their prime but must adapt to yet another tactical evolution.
In summary, Manchester United have undergone considerable change over the past four years, yet the defensive core of Martínez, Maguire, Shaw and Dalot remains remarkably consistent. Carrick’s recent results suggest the combination can still deliver points, but the lack of clean sheets and the physical demands of a high‑press system mean that the club may soon need fresh faces to sustain competitiveness. The upcoming match against Hull City will offer a glimpse of whether this familiar back‑line can continue to serve United’s ambitions or if it signals the final chapter for a quartet that has endured both triumphs and tribulations.