Manchester United boss Michael Carrick could have another tool at his disposal before taking on Arsenal after earning victory over Manchester City at Old Trafford
Michael Carrick
Michael Carrick can add another tool to his Arsenal(Image: Copa/Getty Images)
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Michael Carrick is expected to have another swift boost to his time in charge of Manchester United after tonight, with Noussair Mazraoui set to return to the fold at Old Trafford. Mazraoui's Africa Cup of Nations will come to an end this evening with hosts Morocco taking on Senegal.
Carrick's tenure could scarcely have got off to a better start this weekend after a dominant 2-0 victory in the Manchester derby. Bryan Mbeumo and Patrick Dorgu secured three points for United on Saturday and ensured a jubilant mood at the Theatre of Dreams as they earned their first win since beating Newcastle on Boxing Day.
Mbeumo and Amad returned to action from AFCON this week after Cameroon and Ivory Coast fell at the quarter-final stage. The pair were back in training at Carrington on Wednesday, and Carrick included them in his starting lineup to great effect.
Carrick did not hesitate to reintegrate the duo and could make a similar move as he prepares to face league leaders Arsenal. Mazraoui will undoubtedly be given some time off in the coming week but, with United not taking to the field until Sunday, the defender will have a decent period to recover.
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Ex-Bayern Munich defender Mazraoui's last United outing came at centre-back, but he has played as a full-back throughout AFCON. The 28-year-old has started every game of Morocco's campaign and has been positioned on both flanks.
It remains to be seen how he plays into Carrick's plans as United move to a back four with Diogo Dalot and Luke Shaw claiming spots on the right and left, respectively.
Nigeria's Raphael Onyedika puts in a tackle on Morocco's Noussair Mazraoui
Noussair Mazraoui has helped Morocco earn their place in this year's Africa Cup of Nations final(Image: Torbjorn Tande/DeFodi Images/DeFodi via Getty Images)
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Former Middlesbrough boss Carrick will have plenty to consider going into the clash against the Gunners. His foray into Premier League coaching could not have offered a greater trial by fire.
The 44-year-old plans to channel the aggression that his team showed against Manchester City, into the rest of the season. Carrick knows that it won't necessarily be a straightforward task.
“That’s the challenge ultimately and I think it needs to be a version of normal," he said in his press conference.
"Listen, we’re not going to have games with the emotion and feeling and everything that today brought, I think we all understand that.
"But there’s definitely levels of standards and expectations that we need to live up to from ourselves as much as anyone on the outside. I’m totally aware of that.
"Consistency is the key to any success and if you can find that, then you’re on to a winner, so that’s our challenge. You’ve got to find a way of doing that.
"Big one next week [against Arsenal], obviously another tough one. But on the back of today, we’ve got a good foundation to build on."