New Man Utd signing Ugarte reveals he had a fever with the national team

Uruguayan midfielder - Ugarte may miss the Premier League 4th round match against Southampton on the evening of September 14th (BST) due to ill health, and it looks like his Manchester United debut will have to wait a little longer, according to the Manchester Evening News.

Speaking after Uruguay's 0-0 handshake with Venezuela in their South American qualifier for the 2026 World Cup, Ugarte admitted: “I'm a bit tired now. I had a fever yesterday, but it was worth it to get the point. Venezuela are not easy opponents when they play at home.”

According to the British media, Ugarte's ability to play in this round of the EPL is still unknown due to his poor physical condition and the long distance travel on the national team's match day.

Ugarte's poor form has brought a lot of trouble to Manchester United. Manager Jens Ten Hahn was counting on the former Paris Saint-Germain midfielder to replace Casemiro, who has been on a downward spiral. But now, Ten Hahn may have to think twice about taking a chance on Ugarte.

Despite his physical ailments, Ugarte had a strong performance against Venezuela. The 23-year-old midfielder played the full 90 minutes, making 57 touches and 41 passes for a pass success rate of 83%. He also managed to break through three times, winning seven out of 11 confrontations, as well as making one clearance, three interceptions and four tackles, making him nothing short of an all-rounder.

Ugarte's place in the Uruguayan national team is unassailable. At the 2024 Copa America, the Manchester United recruit played all six matches and helped his team to a third place finish.

In the summer of 2024, United went to great lengths to convince Paris Saint-Germain to release him, eventually picking up Ugarte for a base transfer fee of €50 million plus a €10 million floating clause. The midfield maverick was seen as the ideal candidate to partner Kirby Menu. Only, now it seems that Ten Hahn will have to pray that Ugarte recovers quickly before he can shine at Old Trafford.