Patrick Dorgu is on his way back for Man Utd and his return might give Michael Carrick the chance to try him at left-back.

It’s been a strange old season for Patrick Dorgu. The 21-year-old hasn’t played since the end of January and has started just 14 Premier League games, but it feels like he has been through plenty this term.

He was derided as anxious by Ruben Amorim earlier this season, during a period in which his form plummeted and his future looked far from certain. His performance in the 1-0 defeat to 10-man Everton in November led to a spell out of the team.

His return to form actually started in the final weeks of the Amorim era. He was back in the side against Aston Villa on December 21 and strung some positive displays together, before being unleashed on the left of a 4-2-3-1 by Michael Carrick.

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Dorgu’s goals against Manchester City and Arsenal, the second a spectacular strike at the Emirates, capped a superb few weeks and he looked a fixture in the team, only for the hamstring injury he picked up in that game to lead to a spell on the sidelines.

The Denmark international is back doing gym work and running now, but a return isn’t imminent and his absence could eventually stretch to three months. It is still expected he will be back before the end of the season.

He has certainly been missed by United. Results have continued to go in a positive direction and all the attackers have had spells where they have contributed, but as a left-footed left-winger, Dorgu was providing the kind of natural width that Matheus Cunha hasn’t done as often.

United have firmed up plans to sign a left-winger in recent months and Dorgu will face more competition for a place next season, but his displays around Christmas and into January mean he will be a valuable member of the squad at the very least. His versatility makes sure of that.

He was being used as a wing-back by Amorim, mostly on the left, but towards the end of the Portuguese’s spell in charge, he started on the right against Newcastle and played as a more central attacker in the draw at Leeds, before being used as a winger by Carrick.

Dorgu developed as an attacking threat for former club Lecce, particularly down the left, and that form earned him a £30million move to Old Trafford in January 2025, as United looked to adapt to Amorim’s new system. It’s an irony that Dorgu then looked most at home in a back four.

For all his attacking talents, Dorgu has plenty of experience as a left-back as well, even if it’s a position he has yet to play for United. That could change before the end of the season.

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United could look to sign a left-back and a left-winger this summer. Luke Shaw has started all 31 Premier League games this season, but in a more demanding schedule, relying on his fitness is a risk, and he’s about to enter the final year of his contract. Tyrell Malacia will leave when his deal expires this summer.

Dorgu could be an option all across the left flank. There might be some hesitation playing him as a left-back in a back four against the Premier League’s elite, or in a big Champions League knockout tie, but his attacking intent from that position could also be a weapon, especially against low blocks.

He might not be an answer at left-back every week, but he could be a good option at times. The final weeks of this season, with United well on track to return to the Champions League, should be a good chance to test that out.

The final three games of the season are against Sunderland, Nottingham Forest and Brighton, when Dorgu will be hoping he’s fit enough to play a part. If United have booked their Champions League return by then, it might be time to experiment, and unleashing the Dane at left-back could help reveal whether he is an option there next season as well.