Carrick's debut as Man United boss sees three absentees! Glazer and Rangnick oversee, 4231 formation with only one uncertain spot

Manchester United face Manchester City at home on Saturday, and the newly appointed coach Carrick confronts a tough debut. Yet for the 44-year-old, the positive is that the squad is mostly complete, with only three players sidelined: central defender De Ligt, full-back Mazraoui, and winger Shola Leesey.

Following Rúben Amorim's sacking, De Gea awkwardly realizes he's experienced yet another coaching change. Since his debut in the 2016/17 season at Ajax, the 26-year-old Dutch defender has faced a managerial turnover every season. Across Ajax, Juventus, Bayern Munich, and Manchester United, he has gone through 10 coaching changes. This number is likely to rise next season as United prepare to appoint a permanent manager.

However, De Ligt's primary concern is his back injury. In Friday's pre-Premier League press conference, Carrick admitted De Ligt's recovery is slower than expected. Medical experts note that back injuries are tricky and can potentially develop into chronic conditions.

Since sustaining an injury against Crystal Palace on November 30 last year, De Ligt has been unable to regain full fitness. Carrick said: "De Ligt has had some minor issues, but we hope he'll be back soon. His recovery is slower than initially anticipated. Other than that, we've had a good week. Overall, the lads are in good shape. I can feel the energy, both fresh and familiar! Obviously, I'm delighted to be here. I want to work in my own way, enjoy what we do, and strive for success. The players have worked hard this week, and we feel ready."

Mazraoui is still competing in the Africa Cup of Nations, with Morocco as hosts already reaching the final, set to face Senegal on Sunday. Regardless of the outcome, the full-back will return to Manchester United next week, making Carrick's squad more complete.

Eighteen-year-old United youngster Leesey will miss this Premier League round due to a red card received in the FA Cup third round home defeat 1-2 to Brighton, as suspensions carry over between these competitions. However, with Mbemou and Amad Diallo returning from the Africa Cup, Leesey was unlikely to feature anyway.

In his second stint as Manchester United manager, Carrick told the British media: "I am sitting here before you in this chair, but with two different roles, and the responsibilities differ from that of a coach. It's great to be back; managing Manchester United is a huge honor for me. Additionally, I am eager to succeed. This is indeed an important and demanding task. On one hand, it’s naturally pleasing to hold this position; on the other, it’s even more crucial to focus fully on improving the team's performance and results."

United's expectation for Carrick is to secure Champions League qualification. Regarding his goals, Carrick explained: "There is no strict rule about this or that. As I said, we want to be close to the top of the table. But we will take it step by step, and qualifying for Europe is a step towards that aim."

When asked about his definition of coaching success, Carrick said: "I believe enhancing individual players' abilities is a key source of my happiness. If I can help each player improve continuously, we can build a stronger team and achieve better results. By progress, I mean both performance and attitude, as well as the effort needed to win. We want to keep working hard to achieve the best possible outcomes."

Carrick revealed that he has communicated not only with United’s sporting director Jason Wilcox and CEO Omar Berrada but also with owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe and the Glazer family. On Friday, Rangnick and the Glazer brothers met with an investor at Carrington; this was unrelated to club acquisition but concerned the new stadium project. The club is seeking business partners and individual investors for the construction. It is expected that several owners will watch the United vs. City match.

Carrick said: "I have had many discussions with Jason (Wilcox) and have worked closely with Jason and Omar (Berrada). Over the past few days, we have talked a lot. Shareholders have also been involved in these discussions. Yesterday, I met with them for a brief chat, which was very pleasant. They have done their part, and we exchanged some views. They expressed their best wishes to us, and it was good to see them."

After taking charge at United, Carrick might face criticism from some club legends, especially Roy Keane, who formerly wore the number 16 shirt and had conflicts with Carrick’s wife Lisa. In the 2013/14 season, upset by Keane’s criticism of her husband’s performance in the 0-2 Champions League loss to Olympiacos, Lisa called Keane a jerk.

Keane clearly remembers this incident and, after Carrick became United manager, the Irishman mocked that Carrick’s wife might be responsible for motivating the players. Carrick said he is unfazed by this: "It doesn't bother me at all. They haven’t put any extra pressure on me, at least I don’t feel that way. I think it’s part of the environment at Manchester United; I know what I have to do. Naturally, there will be various opinions around, some positive and some less so."

Carrick continued: "But I want to stress that the kind of 'pressure' you mention means nothing to me. I know where we need to improve and how to work with the players to achieve our goals. As I said before, progress is necessary. Opinions come and go; people love to share their views—that’s how the world works. I won’t pay much attention to those comments; that’s not my role. What really matters for me, the players, and the coaching staff is to focus on how to succeed. That is our duty and what we should concentrate on, giving our all for the club."

Carrick will almost certainly use a 4-2-3-1 formation for his debut, with most starters clear. The only possible uncertainty is the defensive midfield spot, where Uruguay international Ugarte and academy rising star Koby Meno will compete to partner Casemiro. Another potentially variable position is striker, as the €85 million signing Sesko has shown good form in training and might alter the new coaching staff’s planned lineup.

Predicted Manchester United starting lineup vs. Manchester City: Senna Lamens / Diogo Dalot, Eden Haven, Lisandro Martinez, Luke Shaw / Casemiro, Ugarte (or Meno) / Amad Diallo, Bruno Fernandes, Cunha / Mbemou.