Uruguay were eliminated from the competition following their 1-0 defeat to Spain in Guadalajara on June 27 with Ugarte stretchered off in the first half following a freak collision with one of his own players.
United fans are concerned Ugarte’s knee problem could see him miss the start of the 2026/27 season as he left the field in tears at the Estadio Akron.
Ugarte has struggled to nail down a regular starting spot in his two years at United, with former boss Ruben Amorim preferring captain Bruno Fernandes as Casemiro’s midfield partner, and new head coach Michael Carrick bringing Kobbie Mainoo back into the starting fold in 2026.
Despite Casemiro’s free transfer exit from Old Trafford last month, United’s summer plan had still been geared towards selling Ugarte, with terms already agreed over a post-World Cup £34M (€40.5m) deal for Atalanta’s Ederson.
West Ham star Mateus Fernandes is also on Carrick’s radar, despite United’s unwillingness to match the Hammers lofty demand for around £80M on the Portugal international, but any further moves are balanced against an expected fee generated by selling Ugarte.
United have no firm update on the extent of his injury at this stage, or his expected recovery period, but if it stretches beyond the end of August’s transfer window, they could be forced to pull out of several transfer deals currently being negotiated.
The 25-year-old is expected to stay with Uruguay’s camp until July as the injury is assessed before flying back to the UK and working on his rehabilitation in Manchester.