Carrick Names Threadbare Manchester United Squad for PSG Clash
Michael Carrick has his new midfielder at last. Belgium’s run to the World Cup quarter-finals pushed back the player’s first appearance in a Manchester United shirt, but the wait is over and he is finally available for selection.
The rest of Carrick’s options tell the story of a squad still feeling the aftershocks of a long summer.
World Cup hangover leaves big gaps
The 21-day mandatory post-tournament break continues to strip United of some of their biggest names. England pair Marcus Rashford and Kobbie Mainoo are still off-limits, as is Argentina defender Lisandro Martinez. All three remain unavailable as they complete their enforced rest.
Up front, Benjamin Sesko is still wrestling with the same shin problem that cut short his campaign last season. The injury has lingered, and United will again have to cope without the striker.
Senne Lammens and Matheus Cunha are missing too. Cunha only rejoined training this week after his own World Cup efforts with Brazil, but neither player is ready to feature. United confirmed the pair are recovering from minor, unrelated illnesses and will link up with the group at next week’s training camp in the Republic of Ireland.
That camp includes a historic date in Dublin: a meeting with old rivals Leeds at Croke Park on Wednesday night. The build-up to that fixture starts with a high-profile test against PSG.
Fernandes returns as Carrick leans on leaders
Carrick has named a 22-man travelling squad for Friday’s clash with the French champions, and there is at least one familiar pillar back in place. Captain Bruno Fernandes returns to headline the group, restoring some authority and creativity in midfield.
Defenders Diogo Dalot and Noussair Mazraoui are also back in the fold. Of that trio, only Mazraoui makes the starting XI, a nod to his sharpness and the need for fresh legs in wide defensive areas.
Up front, Bryan Mbeumo keeps his place as the focal point of the attack. He earned it. The forward struck twice in last weekend’s 2-1 win over Atletico Madrid in Stockholm, a performance that virtually demanded another start.
The youthful romance of that game, though, has been parked for now. Fifteen-year-old JJ Gabriel, who made his senior debut against Atletico, drops out of the squad, as does fellow youngster Jim Thwaites. Both tasted first-team football for the first time in Sweden; both step aside here as Carrick tightens his group for a different kind of examination.
Goalkeeping department stripped back
If there is one area that looks especially thin, it is in goal.
Altay Bayindir is absent after completing a loan move to Celta Vigo on Friday. With Lammens sidelined and new signing Karl Darlow still unavailable following minor surgery carried out during his time at Leeds late last season, United’s depth between the posts has been badly eroded.
Radek Vitek’s permanent switch to Middlesbrough, a deal worth up to £14million, has further cleared the decks. The result is a goalkeeping pecking order that leans heavily on experience at the very top and youth beneath it.
Tom Heaton, 40 years old and still trusted, starts again. Behind him, Dermot Mee and teenager Fred Heath provide the cover. It is a stark illustration of how quickly a department can empty out when transfers, injuries and illness collide.
Injury blows in defence and midfield
The picture is no brighter in other areas of the pitch.
Midfielder Manuel Ugarte faces months on the sidelines after undergoing surgery in July on a serious knee injury picked up with Uruguay at the World Cup. His absence removes a powerful, combative presence from the heart of Carrick’s plans before the season has even begun in earnest.
At the back, Matthijs de Ligt is still not ready to return from a long-term back problem. United must again improvise without one of their key defensive anchors, forcing Carrick to juggle his options and lean on those who have come through pre-season unscathed.
So United head into PSG with a squad that looks patched together in places but still carries enough quality to test elite opposition. For Carrick, this is the reality of the modern calendar: a team built on stars, held together for now by whoever is fit, fresh and ready to run.
