Coach Carrick receives a significant boost at MU ahead of the big clash with Man City

Michael Carrick greeted the comeback of two key forwards prior to Man Utd’s match against archrivals Man City.

This weekend, Michael Carrick will take charge of his first game as interim manager of Man Utd. The English tactician and his squad are expected to face a tough 90 minutes at Old Trafford when hosting their "neighbor" Man City in the 22nd round of the Premier League.

However, Carrick’s concerns are somewhat eased as the "Red Devils" welcome back attacking duo Amad Diallo and Bryan Mbeumo.

Both players have been absent since mid-December due to national team duties at the Africa Cup of Nations. Amad represented the reigning champions Ivory Coast, while Mbeumo played for Cameroon. Unfortunately, both teams exited early at the quarterfinal stage, with Ivory Coast losing to Egypt and Cameroon being eliminated by hosts Morocco, a team featuring Man Utd’s Noussair Mazraoui.

Although the early elimination at the international level was disappointing, it opened the door for Amad and Mbeumo to quickly refocus on their club responsibilities for the 2025/26 season. Both have returned to training and are ready to compete for starting positions in a Man Utd squad gradually taking shape under Carrick’s leadership.

Tactically, the coach born in 1981 is likely to make notable adjustments by abandoning Ruben Amorim’s 3-4-3 formation. Instead, he is expected to favor a four-man defense with a 4-2-3-1 setup, a system Carrick successfully used while managing Middlesbrough.

During his second stint as caretaker at Old Trafford (the first being in 2021), Carrick expressed his honor at leading the club that made his name during its peak years and promised to bring success to the "Red Devils" in his interim role.

The English coach shared: "Being given the responsibility to manage Man Utd is a tremendous honor.

I fully understand the demands required to succeed here, and my goal now is to help the players reach the standards that a great club like Manchester United always expects. I believe this squad is entirely capable of meeting those expectations.

I have worked with many players in this team and have closely followed Man United in recent years. I have complete faith in their talent, professionalism, and hunger to win. The season still holds many objectives, and the entire squad is ready to unite and deliver performances worthy of the loyal support from our fans.”

The match between Man Utd and Man City will kick off at 7:30 PM tomorrow (January 17).