Michael Carrick has acknowledged that Manchester United will have two fewer days than Manchester City to prepare for Sunday’s Old Trafford derby, admitting the schedule is “not ideal” for his side.
City began their Champions League campaign with a victory in Porto on Tuesday night, while United have been handed a one-off Thursday fixture against Azerbaijan’s Sabah at Old Trafford.
The arrangement gives Enzo Maresca additional time to work with his players ahead of the 199th Manchester derby. Carrick, however, accepts that United must simply adapt to the circumstances.
“I’m not concerned,” the United head coach said. “Listen, I wouldn’t say it’s ideal in some ways, but it’s not something we’ve given too much thought to.
“We’re not in control of that. We’ve got to deal with the cards we’re dealt, and that’s what it is, so we’ll make the most of it.”
Carrick is also waiting to assess Luke Shaw before deciding whether the experienced defender will be available for United’s next two matches. Shaw missed training at Carrington on Wednesday.
Manchester City started their Champions League campaign with a win in Porto on Tuesday, while Manchester United face Sabah of Azerbaijan at Old Trafford in a rare Thursday fixture
Carrick is waiting to decide whether Luke Shaw will be available for the next two matches after the veteran defender missed Wednesday’s training session at Carrington
The club described Wednesday as a scheduled day off, but Carrick revealed that the decision was made after Shaw featured in United’s 2-2 draw with Everton on Sunday.
Shaw’s absence has heightened concerns that United’s decision not to bring in left-back cover for the 31-year-old England international before last week’s transfer deadline could leave them exposed.
“We just gave Luke an extra recovery day,” Carrick added. “We’ll see by tomorrow how he is, but it’s not an ongoing thing or a plan or anything like that. It was simply because of the game the other day.
“As normal, every individual has different little things that we manage, and Luke was one of them today.”
United chose not to sign cover for Shaw during the transfer window, despite showing interest in Newcastle’s Lewis Hall and turning down the chance to bring in Rayan Ait-Nouri on loan from Manchester City on deadline day.
The veteran defender started every Premier League match for United last season, although it was widely recognised that he would struggle to complete another campaign without injury problems. Shaw, who set up Benjamin Sesko’s goal against Everton, was replaced by Noussair Mazraoui in added time during Sunday’s 2-2 draw. The change was initially assumed to be tactical.
If Shaw is ruled out, United will have to rely on several backup options. Patrick Dorgu can operate at left-back after being deployed in a more advanced role under Carrick.
Both right-backs, Mazraoui and Diogo Dalot, are capable of playing on the opposite flank, and academy product Harry Amass has stayed at the club when it was anticipated he would leave. New £70million midfield Carlos Baleba – currently out until October – could also be used as an auxiliary left-back.
United’s clash with Sabah marks their first appearance in the Champions League for 1,003 days stretching back to December 2023.
Carrick, who played when United last lifted the trophy in Moscow in 2008, insists the club are back where they belong but must be humble considering their recent history in Europe.
Carrick, who played when United last lifted the trophy in Moscow in 2008, insists the club are back where they belong but must be humble considering their recent history in Europe
‘It’s a magical competition,’ he said. ‘It’s where we all want to be. When you’re out of it, you realise how special it is, and when you’re in it you want to make the most of it.
‘I think we’ve all seen some special nights and felt some special things in this competition over the years. It’s the best competition to challenge yourself and to push against the best. We’re delighted to be here, but we’re not here to just enjoy the occasion. We’re here to do the business and go as far as we possibly can.
‘Winning the Champions League is the best feeling I’ve been lucky enough to have as a footballer. For me, it was the ultimate and it would be nice to feel that again some day.
‘It’s not something that you can take for granted, what it takes to be there and what it takes to stay there. We’ve missed out on it for a number of years, and now we’re back so I think it means a lot.
‘We’ve done an awful lot of good work to be here in a short space of time. We want the expectation, that’s a privileged position to be in. But I think we’ve got to be humble enough and realistic enough to know where we’re coming from and where we want to get to.’
On facing Sabah, a club that didn’t even exist until 2017, Carrick said: ‘They’re a very well-coached team. They’ve obviously won a lot of football matches over the last 12 months, and so they’re playing with a lot of confidence. We’re fully aware of what we’re up against and the challenge that we face.’
