6ft4in whiz says he ‘cannot wait’ to play under Michael Carrick after watching United’s emphatic win over City

Joshua Zirkzee is chomping at the bit to play his first minutes in this revitalised Manchester United side.Unfortunately for the Dutchman, he has been out of action since United’s clash with Burnley on January 7, during which Darren Fletcher was in the dugout for the 2-2 draw.Joshua Zirkzee has had to watch United’s revival from the sidelines(Photo by Carl Recine/Getty Images)An unspecified injury setback then ruled him out of both the Manchester derby and last week’s scintillating win over Arsenal, although he was in attendance at the former alongside fellow absentee Matthijs de Ligt.Now, fans can expect to see Zirkzee back in action for the visit of Tottenham Hotspur on Saturday, as he was deemed fit enough to make the matchday squad yesterday.Michael Carrick didn’t call upon the 24-year-old, but presumably will grant him his first appearance in a month this weekend.Even though Zirkzee is navigating a heavily reduced role this season, which hasn’t been helped by United’s early exit from the cup competitions, he remains fully committed to the club. Appearances Starts Goals Assists Minutes played 14 4 2 1 482 *Zirkzee in the Premier League this term (Transfermarkt)Reports over the weekend claimed that he had directly informed United chiefs of his desire to stay put this month, despite being linked with a move away since the window opened. Zirkzee has told #mufc he wants to stayhttps://t.co/wnyMEqc732 — Samuel Luckhurst (@samuelluckhurst) January 30, 2026Zirkzee had attracted interest from the likes of AS Roma and Juventus, but is set on continuing to prove himself in M16.Zirkzee awaiting first taste of action under Carrick(Photo by Julian Finney/Getty Images)When Benjamin Sesko netted his sensational injury-time winner yesterday, Zirkzee was the first player to run to his teammate and kickstart the team’s celebrations. LOOK WHAT IT MEANT TO SESKO, AND LOOK HOW ZIRKZEE WAS HAPPY FOR HIM. 🥺❤️ pic.twitter.com/VgpVAevUeu — UF (@UtdFaithfuls) February 1, 2026 Joshua Zirkzee just wants the best for everyone. What a guy. ❤️ pic.twitter.com/xEMg1bez0i — (fan) Frank 🧠🇾🇪 (@FrankEra_) February 1, 2026He’s already voiced his desperation to get back on the pitch in an interview he did with MUTV last week.  When asked how he felt about playing under Carrick for the first time, he said: “Yeah, I cannot wait! “Especially after, you know, seeing the game against City, seeing the guys play the way they did – it just makes you want to be on the pitch and just help the team.”