Manchester United will face Manchester City on Saturday in the Premier League in Michael Carrick's first match as interim head coach
Michael Carrick
Michael Carrick was appointed interim head coach of Manchester United earlier this week(Image: Ash Donelon/Manchester United via Getty Images)
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Michael Carrick may already have a dilemma to solve in his first match as Manchester United’s interim head coach. The Reds appointed Carrick to the role earlier this week, succeeding Darren Fletcher in the Old Trafford dugout.
United parted ways with Ruben Amorim earlier this month and went on to appoint Carrick as interim boss until the end of the season, with Fletcher having two matches in charge.
Saturday will see United face bitter rivals Manchester City in the Premier League’s early kick-off in the latest instalment of the Manchester derby, in what will also be Carrick’s first official match in charge.
Carrick has overseen three United fixtures in the past, having taken charge on a caretaker basis in 2021 following Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s departure and before Ralf Rangnick was appointed.
The game will also hand several boosts to United, with several players returning to the squad following their participation at the Africa Cup of Nations.
Amad Diallo and Bryan Mbeumo are expected to be available for United on Saturday for the first time since they left Manchester to link up with their respective national teams last month.
However, while having Amad and Mbeumo available will be a welcome boost to Carrick and United, it may also provide a selection dilemma for United’s new interim head coach.
It’s still uncertain what formation Carrick could utilise in his first match in charge, but it’s possible that he could go with a 4-2-3-1 based on his past set-ups from his time at Middlesbrough.
If that were to be the case, it’s possible that Carrick may be forced to choose between either Amad or Mbeumo to start for United against City this weekend.
Amad was previously used in a wing-back role in Amorim’s system, while the Ivory Coast international and Mbeumo have both been utilised in advanced No.10 roles, too.
In a 4-2-3-1 system, Carrick may have to choose between Amad and Mbeumo to start on the right wing, depending on whether he decides to select Patrick Dorgu to start on the left wing.
It’s possible that Amad and Mbeumo could be chosen to play on both wings for United this weekend, leaving Carrick to choose between Shaw and Dorgu at left-back.
United go into the clash against City in seventh place in the Premier League table, but would leapfrog Liverpool into fourth place with a win at Old Trafford before their Merseyside rivals face Burnley in their 3pm kick-off.
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