Michael Carrick will have a near full-strength squad to choose from for Manchester United’s next fixture
Michael Carrick’s Manchester United squad is starting to take shape ahead of the 2026/27 campaign.
The United head coach had a relatively small pool of players to choose from for the first three pre-season fixtures of the summer, but his options are set to be bolstered in the coming days. Belgian pair Senne Lammens and Youri Tielemans returned earlier than expected at the end of last week and joined first-team training on Monday, having reached the quarter-finals of the World Cup.
Carrick will also see Portuguese duo Diogo Dalot and Bruno Fernandes, as well as Brazil’s Matheus Cunha and Morocco’s Noussair Mazraoui return to the fold this week. Brazil were knocked out of the World Cup on July 5 following a last-16 defeat to Norway, while Portugal lost to Spain at the same stage a day later and Morocco were beaten by France in the quarter-finals three days later.
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That means, ahead of United’s fourth pre-season clash with PSG this Saturday, Carrick will have the majority of his squad to choose a starting XI from when facing the European champions.
Only Marcus Rashford, Kobbie Mainoo and Lisandro Martinez, who all reached the final week of the World Cup, will be absent. The trio are expected to be fit when they join up with the squad after the PSG game for a training camp in Ireland.
Carrick has some big decisions to make ahead of Saturday with several nailed-on starters returning to the fore. Lammens should immediately reclaim his spot as the No.1 goalkeeper.
In defence, Carrick had picked Yoro at right back, Harry Maguire and Ayden Heaven at centre back, and Luke Shaw at left-back until now. But Dalot undoubtedly makes United’s strongest current XI, meaning he could slot in at right back, with Yoro shuffling across into central defence alongside Maguire. Heaven should drop to the bench, while Shaw occupies the left back position.
Mazraoui may receive some minutes but is not a stronger option than Dalot nor Shaw at full-back. Meanwhile, Matthijs de Ligt continues to work his way back from an injury.
Carrick has an even bigger selection headache in midfield. Captain Fernandes will undoubtedly return to his starring role as the No.10. Deciding who will play behind him is more difficult, with £48million signing Andrey Santos, £35m new arrival Tielemans and the in-form Mount all keen and ready to start.
Given how impressive Mount has been in pre-season and his dogged work-rate, it would make little sense to drop the Englishman. Meanwhile, Santos’ ball-winning ability is crucial against a ball-dominant side like PSG, meaning Tielemans should start the game on the bench.
Up top, Cunha’s return and Benjamin Sesko’s absence means the Brazilian should lead the line. That would see Mbeumo shifted back to his favoured position on the right wing, with Amad dropping to the bench as a potential second-half substitute.
The pacey duo of Mbeumo and Patrick Dorgu, being threaded balls by Cunha and Fernandes, will cause the Parisians plenty of problems, especially on the counter. With player returns, injuries and tactics in mind, here is the strongest XI Carrick could field against PSG:
Goalkeeper: Lammens.
Defence: Dalot, Yoro, Maguire, Shaw.
Midfield: Fernandes, Santos, Mount.
Attack: Mbeumo, Cunha, Dorgu.
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