Michael Carrick will see two players return to his squad as Manchester United travel to face Arsenal in the Premier League on Sunday.
Michael Carrick will be taking charge of his second Manchester United fixture since his return to the club as a crunch clash away from home against Arsenal looms in the Premier League.
Upon his return last week, United put in a scintillating display as they demolished Manchester City 2-0 at Old Trafford, putting the ball in the net a further three times, too, although all were ruled out for offside.
It was one of the best performances fans have seen from the side for a long, long time, and has injected a wave of contagious optimism ahead of the trip to North London.
Arsenal are seven points clear at the top of the table, but a drab 0-0 draw with Nottingham Forest on the weekend has dampened the mood. With United chasing Champions League spots, the tie is set up to be a feisty and explosive afair.
Carrick is set to have a further two players to choose from this week as he takes training ahead of the match against Mikel Arteta’s league leaders.
Noussair Mazraoui
What happened: Noussair Mazraoui has been unavailable since mid-December, having competed in the Africa Cup of Nations. Mazraoui’s Morocco lost 1-0 to Senegal in the final on Sunday evening, although the player himself has been praised relentlessly for his performances.
Does he return this week: Yes. He will now fly back to Manchester and rejoin training later this week after a few days off to rest and recover.
Expected return date: 25 January – Arsenal (A)
Matthijs de Ligt
What happened: Matthijs de Ligt played every single minute of United’s Premier League season up until the end of November, but has since been unavailable due to a back injury.
What was said: “Matthijs de Ligt has been carrying a bit of an issue, but hopefully, we’ll get him back in some time soon,” Carrick said late last week. “It’s been a little bit slower than what they thought previously.”
Expected return date: 1 February – Fulham (H)
Shea Lacey
What happened: In United’s FA Cup tie against Brighton, 18-year-old Shea Lacey was sent off after receiving two yellow cards and was therefore suspended for the Manchester derby, being handed a one-game ban.
What was said: “I want to apologise to all of my teammates staff and the fans,” Lacey wrote on social media. “I let everybody down tonight I shouldn’t let my emotions get the better of me I will do everything I can to make this right.”
Expected return date: 25 January – Arsenal (A)
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