The (second) Michael Carrick (interim) era of Manchester United football is here, and it begins on Saturday with the big local derby. This time, Carrick will get 17 matches in charge (all in the league) instead of the three that he had last time. Short-term interim boss Darren Fletcher now returns to youth team coaching.
The biggest challenge for Carrick is to get his defense lined up for the very tough task ahead of them.
Manchester Derby FYIs
Kickoff: Sat. Jan 17, 12:30pm, Old Trafford, Stretford, UK
List of long term United managerial candidates: go here
Team News: Man United Man City
Google Result Probability: United Win 28% | City Win 48% | Draw 24%
Man United Team News
In signing Antoine Semenyo from AFC Bournemouth last week, City now have the #1 (Erling Haaland) and #3 top scorers in the league. Can United stop that firepower on Saturday?
And what about the guys who are currently away at the Africa Cup of Nations? Noussair Mazraoui is currently away from United, and playing for Morocco, the favorite to win AFCON.
The semifinals are later on today, with the final and third place games on the weekend.
Meanwhile Bryan Mbeumo (Cameroon) and Amad (Ivory Coast) saw their national sides eliminated in the quarterfinals, so they are back with United, and potentially available for selection on Saturday.
Most likely, they would only feature in a limited role however. As for the injury situation, it’s only Matthijs de Ligt, that’s all. He remains sidelined with a lower back problem.
Paul M. Banks is the Founding Editor of The Sports Bank. He’s also the author of “Transatlantic Passage: How the English Premier League Redefined Soccer in America,” and “No, I Can’t Get You Free Tickets: Lessons Learned From a Life in the Sports Media Industry.”
He currently contributes to USA Today’s NFL Wires Network, RG.org and Ratings.org. His past bylines include the New York Daily News, Sports Illustrated and the Chicago Tribune. His work has been featured in numerous outlets, including the Wall Street Journal, Forbes and the Washington Post.