Manchester United’s crisis is deepening. The Red Devils sit 17th in the Premier League table, have suffered back-to-back defeats and are now winless in nine matches across all competitions. It is a start to the season that has fallen well short of expectations. But Noussair Mazraoui’s situation is also raising concerns: the Moroccan defender is struggling for playing time and appears to have slipped down Michael Carrick’s pecking order.
An unused substitute in Saturday’s 2-0 defeat to Chelsea and the 3-0 loss to Bournemouth on October 25, the Atlas Lion is going through a difficult spell. His last appearance came in the 4-1 Champions League defeat to Como on October 21.
United suffered another setback against the Blues this weekend. Morgan Rogers opened the scoring in the 50th minute, before Lisandro Martínez was sent off and Cole Palmer sealed a 2-0 victory from the penalty spot. The Red Devils have now gone nine matches without a win, their longest such run since 1984.
Mazraoui’s absence from the action at Stamford Bridge was equally telling. Even after United were reduced to 10 men in the 63rd minute, Carrick chose not to bring on the Moroccan defender. The decision speaks volumes about the Atlas Lion’s current standing.
The numbers tell the story. Mazraoui has played just 413 minutes across seven appearances in all competitions this season. In the Premier League, he has been left on the bench four times. He has made only one start, in the opening-day 2-0 defeat to Hull City, alongside three substitute appearances.
Noussair Mazraoui
At the same stage last season, the defender had also made a sluggish start in the league. By November 1, 2025, he had started just twice and made one appearance off the bench, before injuries disrupted his progress and he remained an unused substitute for another two matches. He subsequently regained his starting place before joining Morocco for the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations.
That is a stark contrast with the 2024–25 campaign, his most successful in a United shirt, when he started 34 of his 37 Premier League appearances.
Mazraoui also came in for fierce criticism following United’s heavy defeat to Como. Deployed on the left flank, the Moroccan was singled out by the English press for his performance in a position he is nevertheless comfortable playing for the Atlas Lions. The Sun even described his display as “disastrous.”
Despite his particularly difficult start to the season, the defender is nevertheless expected to be called up by Mohamed Ouahbi for November’s 2027 Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers against Niger. Whatever his struggles at club level, Mazraoui remains a trusted member of Morocco’s national team.
The question now is whether Mazraoui can turn things around, regain Carrick’s confidence and work his way back into United’s starting XI.
A change in the dugout could also give the Moroccan defender a fresh opportunity, with Carrick’s own future uncertain. Otherwise, a move away from Old Trafford in the January transfer window could be on the cards.
