Carlos Baleba out for weeks with hamstring injury

Michael Carrick has confirmed Carlos Baleba will be out for "a number of weeks" with a hamstring injury sustained in Manchester United's 3-2 Champions League win over Roma, ruling the midfielder out of Sunday's Premier League meeting with Aston Villa and any return during the international break.

The 22-year-old Cameroon international came off early in the second half at Old Trafford on Tuesday after a driving run into the box, clutching his hamstring. Carrick updated the media on Friday ahead of Villa's visit (kick-off 16:30 UK).

Carrick's timeline: weeks, not days

"It'll be a number of weeks," Carrick said, according to BBC Sport and The Guardian. "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."

That timeline means Baleba misses Villa this weekend and will not be available immediately after the international window. The Manchester Evening News also reported he is set to miss the Premier League trip to Liverpool and United's Champions League visit to Sporting Lisbon.

Baleba joined United from Brighton & Hove Albion in the summer for £70m, The Guardian and Manchester Evening News both reported. He missed the opening weeks with an ankle problem picked up after the move and, The Guardian noted, had made only seven appearances before Tuesday's injury, his first coming on 10 October.

Blow for a side near the bottom

United sit 17th in the Premier League, separated from the relegation zone by goal difference, The Guardian reported on Friday. Baleba's absence is a clear setback for Carrick as he tries to build on Tuesday's comeback, which ended a long wait for a win and featured a Matheus Cunha double before the forward was sent off late on.

Carrick played down the idea that one result changes everything. "Nothing is done yet. It is one moment in time that we need to use to move forward. We need more of it, for sure," he told BBC Sport after reflecting on the Roma recovery.

BetAlert's match report on Manchester United 3-2 Roma covered the comeback and noted Baleba's early second-half exit on the night.

Dorgu also being managed carefully

Full-back Patrick Dorgu is "slowly getting back" after missing seven successive games with hamstring trouble, Carrick said. The Denmark international trained in a limited way earlier in the week after problems that have already cost him a long spell this year.

"We've got to be patient with Pat," Carrick said, per BBC Sport and The Guardian. "He's had a good period of time now with a couple of hamstrings that we need to manage. But he's slowly getting back with us, so we'll have to see whether he can be involved at the weekend."

United host Aston Villa on Sunday looking to turn Tuesday's European lift into Premier League points without Baleba in midfield.

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