Manchester United’s new caretaker manager will welcome two major boosts when they take on Manchester City in their first game in charge.
Manchester United are still searching for their first win of 2026 as they welcome local rivals Manchester City to Old Trafford on Saturday afternoon.
So far this year, United have fallen to a 1-1 draw against 16th-placed Leeds United, a 2-2 draw against 19th-placed Burnley, and been knocked out of the FA Cup against Brighton on their own turf, all while having their former Head Coach Rúben Amorim sacked in the middle of this.
With United looking to appoint a caretaker manager until the end of the campaign, the Premier League fixture against City will be the interim boss’ first game in charge, although it’s unclear who this will be.
According to reports, former United midfielder Michael Carrick is the favourite, but no final decision has been taken. An announcement is expected in the next 48 hours before team training resumes on Wednesday morning.
Whoever is in charge of the Reds will no doubt welcome a few major returns to United this week.
Matthijs de Ligt
What happened: Having played 90 minutes in each of United’s first 13 league games of the season, Matthijs de Ligt wasn’t in the squad to face West Ham last month and has not been seen since.
What was said: Amorim confirmed last month that De Ligt was suffering from a back problem, but there has been radio silence since.
Expected return date: N/A
Shea Lacey
What happened: Coming on as a substitute against Brighton on Sunday afternoon, 18-year-old Shea Lacey was sent off via two yellow cards and handed a one-game ban.
What was said: “Shea Lacey’s yellow card is ridiculous compared to the fouls that we had against us all game, which ultimately then the lad makes a mistake and is sent off,” current interim boss Darren Fletcher said after the game. “For me, it is poor refereeing.”
Expected return date: 25 January – Arsenal (A)
Amad
What happened: Having won the Player of the Match award in three of his five Africa Cup of Nations games, Amad’s Ivory Coast were knocked out of the competition at the quarter-final stage following a 3-2 loss against Egypt. He will now return to Manchester.
What was said: “Broken dream but very happy with the group we had,” Amad wrote on Instagram. “We will come back stronger than ever.”
Expected return date: 17 January – Manchester City (H)
Read More: When new Man Utd interim boss will take first training session as Michael Carrick ‘favourite’
Bryan Mbeumo
What happened: Bryan Mbeumo’s Cameroon also fell short at AFCON’s quarter-final stage, losing 1-0 to Morocco late last week. The United winger will now return to Manchester, like Amad.
What was said: “Still one of the best experiences as a player that football has given me and also a lot of memories with this welded group,” Mbeumo wrote on Instagram following their exit.
Expected return date: 17 January – Manchester City (H)
Noussair Mazraoui
What happened: Following Morocco’s 1-0 win over Cameroon, Noussair Mazraoui advanced to the semi-finals of AFCON and will remain unavailable.
State of play: If Morocco loses their semi-final tie against Nigeria, Mazraoui may still miss the City tie, as there are only a few days in between the fixtures. The final is the day after the City game.
Expected return date: 25 January – Arsenal (A)
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