Kobbie Mainoo and Casemiro have developed an excellent partnership but United will need more depth in midfield
There has been a comforting familiarity to Manchester United's midfield under Michael Carrick, a perfectly balanced three-man act that has formed the backbone of the climb up the Premier League table since January.
Carrick has taken charge of 13 games since replacing Ruben Amorim. Casemiro and Bruno Fernandes have started them all and Kobbie Mainoo has begun 12. He only missed out against Leeds due to a minor injury.
That trio, barring any unforeseen issues, will man the centre of the pitch again on Sunday when Liverpool visit Old Trafford. We can expect them to start every game between now and the end of the season.
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Their fitness has been comforting for Carrick. When Manuel Ugarte stepped in for Mainoo against Leeds, the midfield malfunctioned. Mason Mount is a good option to replace Fernandes, but there is a clear lack of depth in the centre of the pitch.
United have got away with that because of their reduced schedule this season. Not only do they play just 40 games, but Carrick has had only two midweek matches, so asking that trio to go again and again has been easy.
That won't be the case next season. Firstly, Casemiro need replacing, but the demands of a schedule United hope will be significantly busier will make rotation a must. Whoever is in charge can't rely on bringing in Ugarte for Mainoo as a like-for-like replacement.
Putting those extra games into legs can take away some of the quality that has made them so successful this season. United need only look at this week's opponents for the dangers of creating what has basically become a two-tier midfield, where stand-ins aren't really trusted, and the regulars are called on every week.
Dominik Szoboszlai has been available for 48 of Liverpool's 50 Premier League, Champions League and FA Cup fixtures and he has started every single one of them, missing just two games through suspension. Ryan Gravenberch has started 43 of 50 and Alexis Mac Alliser 39. The workload has been high, and they have struggled to cope, with a major strength last season becoming a weakness this term.
The problem for Arne Slot has been his lack of faith in the replacements. Florian Wirtz can drop into a midfield role, but beyond that, Curtis Jones is the only other option to play there regularly. The 25-year-old academy graduate has started 18 times in the Premier League and Champions League, but three of those have come at right-back.
United need to make sure they get their recruitment right heading into next season. They will sign an elite-level No. 6 to replace Casemiro and will bring in another midfielder as well. There is a possibility of signing a third, with Ugarte set to be sold, but they could look to supplement numbers from the academy.
With Mainoo, Mount and Fernandes remaining in place, United need at least two first-team options that the head coach can trust in big games, allowing for players to be rotated. That is what Carrick doesn't have at the moment and what Slot hasn't really had all season.
It has cost Liverpool, so United have been warned of the dangers of going into a season understaffed in the centre of the pitch.
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