Carrick's Carrington return and the midfield vacuum
Pre-season training starts today at Carrington. Michael Carrick walks onto the grass facing a depleted squad. Last season's third-place finish bought him time and Champions League football. Yet the squad depth is thin.
Casemiro is gone, leaving a gap in defensive coverage. Manuel Ugarte is sidelined with a ruptured anterior cruciate ligament. This leaves Kobbie Mainoo as the only fit senior midfielder reporting for duty this Thursday morning.
Carrick's tactical blueprint requires structural balance. He needs two deep-lying midfielders who can press, pivot, and protect. Right now, he has a single teenager.
This shortage is the direct result of recruitment failures. United were priced out of moves for Elliot Anderson and Mateus Fernandes. The latter chose Tottenham instead. This left United scrambling to rebuild their core before their Dublin training camp next month.
The shadow of Ruben Amorim still lingers over Old Trafford. Amorim was sacked in January 2026. He had spent 14 months in charge of the club.
During his tenure, he oversaw the club's worst Premier League finish and a Europa League final loss to Tottenham. His time ended after a fiery press conference where he appeared to take a jab at his Old Trafford bosses following a 1-1 draw at Leeds.
Now, as the new boss of AC Milan, he has finally broken his silence. Amorim apologized to Manchester United fans during his first press conference in Italy.
"The only thing I can say is that I learned a lot and I made some mistakes. I didn’t have the opportunity – and I am sorry for that – to say something to the Manchester United fans at the moment. I am really proud to have been their coach for a year."
His departure opened the door for Carrick, who stabilized the team. But Carrick cannot rely on stability alone. He needs reinforcements to survive the upcoming campaign.
The £88m solution: Ederson and Santos
To solve this crisis, United have acted decisively in the market. Atalanta's Ederson is set to join in a £38m deal. The Brazilian is currently completing a medical following his post-World Cup break.
His national team suffered a round-of-16 exit against Norway, cutting his tournament short. Ederson is a high-intensity presser who thrives in man-marking systems. Under Gian Piero Gasperini at Atalanta, he excelled at hunting down ball-carriers in the middle third.
He averaged high recovery numbers and will immediately inject physical presence. Alongside him, United have agreed a £50m deal to sign Chelsea's Andrey Santos.
As Sky Sports reported, the agreement consists of a guaranteed £48m payment plus £2m in add-ons. Chelsea will also retain a 10 per cent sell-on clause.
Santos is a highly rated box-to-box midfielder who struggled for game time at Chelsea. The Blues are not participating in European competition this season, limiting rotation options. Furthermore, Moises Caicedo's contract extension until 2033 blocked Santos's path to the first team.
Santos is now preparing to undergo his medical with United. He brings vertical ball progression, aerial strength, and late runs into the penalty area. Yet, combining Ederson and Santos into a coherent unit is a difficult task.
Neither player has pre-season experience under Carrick. They will have to learn his tactical demands on the fly. This midfield overhaul was not the club's first choice.
United spent weeks chasing Real Madrid's Aurelien Tchouameni. According to the Sky Sports live transfer tracker, the Spanish club expects the midfielder to stay this summer. Real Madrid are unwilling to sanction any sales for less than £86m.
Returning Real boss Jose Mourinho sees him as a key part of his squad for the season ahead. Reports in France suggest he could even sign a new contract at the Bernabeu. United's pursuit of a world-class defensive anchor has evaporated.
The Marcus Rashford conundrum
Carrick also faces a major headache in attack. Marcus Rashford is returning from a loan spell at Barcelona. The Catalan club chose not to exercise their option to make his move permanent.
His future is now a source of conflicting reports. The Sun claims United want to sell Rashford before they travel to Dublin next month. They want to clear his wages and fund more transfers.
Conversely, The Guardian reports that plans are in place to reintegrate the forward. This division reflects the tactical debate surrounding Rashford. He is a devastating direct attacker when given space, but his off-the-ball work rate is often criticized.
In Carrick's possession-oriented style, wingers must track back and help press. If Rashford cannot or will not do this, he becomes a tactical liability. Selling him could raise funds for other areas, but finding a buyer for his wages is difficult.
Keeping him means Carrick must adapt his defensive structure to cover for him. It is a classic risk-reward dilemma. Carrick must decide quickly. Pre-season friendly matches start soon, and Dublin is only weeks away.
Testing the engine: Hull City and the road to the derby
The opening fixture list is demanding. United travel to Hull City on August 22 for a 12:30pm kick-off. It is the first of four matches in their first five games to be televised live on Sky.
This stretch includes home games against Ipswich and Manchester City, and away trips to Everton and Fulham. Hull City away is a difficult physical test to open the campaign. They will likely deploy a compact defensive block, denying space in behind.
They will target United's central midfield, looking to exploit any lack of cohesion. If Carrick starts Mainoo and Andrey Santos, he risks being overrun in transition. Santos is prone to wandering forward, which could leave Mainoo isolated.
Hull's attackers will look to exploit these gaps on the counter. The real test comes on September 13 when Manchester City visit Old Trafford. By that match, Carrick's new midfield must be fully integrated.
If not, City's fluid rotations will expose any defensive flaws. While the club has reportedly revealed the location for a new 100,000-seater stadium, Carrick's immediate focus must remain on the pitch.
Despite the challenges, Carrick remains optimistic. In a column for the club's official yearbook, he expressed confidence in his squad.
"We’ve got a fantastic group of players, and we believe they have the required standards of talent, commitment and determination to be successful here. They love being at the club and we can see how badly they want it; that gives us the confidence to know we’re really building something and moving in the right direction."
He added that the team is ready to kick on and win trophies. Carrick's confidence is admirable, but the reality on the pitch is harsher. United's squad is thin, and the midfield rebuild is a high-stakes gamble.
If Ederson and Andrey Santos fail to gel quickly, United will struggle to replicate last season's success. The opening weeks will show if Carrick's belief is justified.
Tactical prediction
Carrick will opt for caution in the season opener. Expect a rigid double pivot of Mainoo and Andrey Santos. They will dominate possession but struggle to break down Hull's low block.
Rashford will start on the left, but his defensive tracking will be exploited. Hull will exploit a turnover in the middle third and score on the counter-attack. United will equalize late in the second half through a piece of individual brilliance.
But a draw will feel like a disappointment for a team aiming for the title. It will prove that Carrick's midfield rebuild still needs time. Prediction: Hull City 1, Manchester United 1.
