Can Michael Carrick get off to the perfect start as Manchester United interim boss?
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Manchester Utd interim head coach Michael Carrick on role and latest ahead of City clash
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Michael Carrick’s interim reign at Manchester United kicks off with the visit of fierce rivals Manchester City as the former midfielder looks to spark a change in fortunes at Old Trafford.
Carrick took the reins from caretaker boss and ex-teammate Darren Fletcher on Tuesday after the Scotsman failed to deliver a win in his two games in charge, with United looking to get their push for Champions League qualification back on track after the sacking of Ruben Amorim.
The hosts will climb into the top four, at least temporarily, with victory in the Manchester derby but may face a tough challenge against a motivated Man City, who are keen to reignite their title charge.
A run of three consecutive draws has allowed Arsenal to pull away from Pep Guardiola’s side, but after the Gunners were held by Liverpool on Monday, City have a chance to close the gap to three points and ramp up the pressure ahead of the league leaders’ trip to Nottingham Forest later in the day.
Follow all the latest updates from Manchester United vs Manchester City in our live blog below:
Man United vs Man City live
Man United begin life under Michael Carrick with the visit of rivals Man City | Kick-off 12:30pm GMT, live on Sky Sports
United have not won a game since Ruben Amorim's sacking
City have seen their title charge stall after three consecutive draws
Marc Guehi is on the verge of joining the visitors from Crystal Palace
3 minutes ago
Man Utd vs Man City
Manchester United begin life under interim manager Michael Carrick with a meeting with rivals Manchester City in a pivotal Premier League fixture.
Carrick has been installed until the end of the season after the sacking of Ruben Amorim, with the former midfielder looking to instil fresh momentum into a campaign with Manchester United pushing for European places.
The hosts will climb into the top four, at least temporarily, with victory in the Manchester derby but may face a tough challenge against a motivated Manchester City.
Three consecutive draws have rather stalled the title charge from Pep Guardiola’s side but a midweek win at Newcastle in the first leg of their Carabao Cup semi-final represented something of a return to form.
Mike Jones17 January 2026 09:00
18 minutes ago
Good morning!
Welcome to The Independent’s coverage of today’s Premier League action.
The highlight of the day is, of course, the Manchester derby as the both clubs clash at Old Trafford surrounded by a swirl of off-pitch matters.
United are led once again by Michael Carrick who is taking charge of his first match since replacing Ruben Amorim as head coach while City are closing in on a deal for Crystal Palace’s Marc Guehi.
We’ll have all the team news, line-ups and build-up for this one with the match getting underway at 12.30pm.
Mike Jones17 January 2026 08:45