Just in: Michael Carrick confirms he’ll be without Man Utd ‘leader’ and another Red vs West Ham

Michael Carrick has ruled Mason Mount and Matthijs de Ligt out of tomorrow’s trip to face West Ham United.It’s a quicker turnaround than the Manchester United squad have grown accustomed to this season, as they take on the Irons on Tuesday after playing in Saturday’s early kick-off.Still, it gives them the opportunity to swiftly build on the weekend’s hard-earned victory over Tottenham Hotspur and potentially extend their emphatic record to five wins in a row – a feat that Ruben Amorim never achieved in his 14 months at Old Trafford.Carrick’s team news for Hammers clash(Photo by Carl Recine/Getty Images)Carrick will have to do so without two trusted Reds, although he is hoping they’ll be back at his disposal in the not-so-distant future.After confirming Mount would be unavailable to face the Irons, the manager did state that he expects to have him back in time for United’s first-ever outing at the Hill Dickinson Stadium against Everton on February 23.The midfielder, whom Amorim previously hailed as a ‘leader’, has been absent since the Manchester derby, when he scored in the dying embers off the bench only to have his effort ruled out for offside.He was included in the matchday squad at the Emirates, but was an unused substitute.De Ligt and Mount closing in on returns(Photo by Warren Little/Getty Images)As for De Ligt, fans haven’t seen him in action since November 30, meaning he has yet to experience Carrick’s newly-implemented setup.He is not as close to returning as Mount, yet Carrick has assured that the Dutch international is ‘moving in the right direction’ in his recovery. Michael Carrick rules Mason Mount and Matthijs de Ligt out of @ManUtd trip to West Ham: “Mason probably not for Tuesday but definitely going into the Everton game, he’ll be back. Matthijs, we’ll see how he develops, he’s moving in the right direction, but Mason’s a little bit… — Simon Stone (@sistoney67) February 9, 2026It’ll be interesting to see whether De Ligt replaces Maguire, whose contract expires in the summer, in the manager’s starting XI when available.Meanwhile, Patrick Dorgu is, of course, a long-term absentee.