Michael Carrick took charge of his first Manchester United session on Wednesday ahead of the upcoming clash with Manchester City.
Manchester United are still searching for their first victory of 2026 as they prepare to host local rivals Manchester City at Old Trafford on Saturday afternoon.
The year has been a difficult one for United so far. They have drawn 1–1 with 16th-placed Leeds United, shared a 2–2 draw with 19th-placed Burnley, and were knocked out of the FA Cup at home by Brighton. These disappointing results came amid further turmoil, with former head coach Ruben Amorim being dismissed midway through this run.
Ahead of the Manchester derby, United have appointed Michael Carrick as head coach until the end of the season, with Saturday’s clash against City marking his first match in charge.
Carrick previously served as interim manager in November 2021, during which he guided United to victories over Arsenal and Villarreal, along with an impressive 1–1 draw against then-league leaders Chelsea.
Three United stars delivered ‘astounding’ finishes in Carrick’s first session
United are unlikely to dominant the ball in their game against City and must instead focus on being hard to beat. Their chances will come on the break and Carrick will need his players to be confident in front of goal.
The English coach took his first session at Carrington earlier in the week and club reporter Adam Marshall was in attendance for it.
He explained how the likes of Bruno Fernandes, Bryan Mbeumo and Benjamin Šeško were delivering incredible finishes throughout the session.
Mbeumo showed no signs of any rustiness with one outrageously cheeky, clever scooped effort,” the reporter wrote on the club’s website.
“Benjamin Sesko showed the sort of confidence in front of goal that comes with having three goals from his last two outings and Bruno Fernandes supplied a couple of astounding finishes.”
Trio must start vs City
All three of those players are likely to start against City. Šeško is in fine form right now while Mbeumo and Fernandes are must-starters whenever they are available.
It will be the first time Mbeumo has played in United colours outside of the 3-4-3 formation and he could be positioned on the left side to fit Amad into the team as well.
That would give Matheus Cunha some time among the substitutes after a few underwhelming performances. He could then make an impact off the bench.
United need players to take their chances in upcoming games. Mbeumo, Šeško and Fernandes seem like the most-likely stars to deliver in those moments.
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