Michael Carrick has ensured to hammer home the importance of Manchester United squad players since arriving, and has now done so for one talent who is often forgotten.
With Manchester United out of every cup competition, there is a lack of games, which means lots of players are not getting game time, but credit to Michael Carrick, he has kept them happy.
Benjamin Sesko was embraced by Carrick after not playing against City, which was a masterclass in man management. It paid off, with Sesko making an impact against Fulham by scoring the winner despite not playing much.
The same situation occurred when Matheus Cunha was benched for the first two games, but clearly wasn’t sulking as he came off the bench to change the game twice, now having three goal contributions in three games.
Now, Carrick has spoken highly of a squad player who has only played once this season.
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Michael Carrick explains why Tyrell Malacia is so important
This season has been yet another one to forget for Tyrell Malacia, with just one appearance so far, having survived Ruben Amorim’s ‘bomb squad’.
As a result of not being used, it was assumed that Malacia would be sold in January, with clubs thought to be keen on a cheap fee considering his contract expires in June.
Tyrell Malacia warms up for Manchester United.
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Malacia was denied a deadline day exit by United earlier this month, as he was reportedly set for a move to Turkey.
Now, Malacia will see out his contract, and Carrick has spoken about how important the Dutchman could be.
“Of course, all the boys have been, honestly, fantastic,” Carrick told MUTV.
“They are all desperate to play.
“For Ty to be back, he’s obviously missed a lot of football over recent years, so to be back around the group, he’s chomping at the bit to play.
“It’s really important we’ve got a strong group, as strong as we can, to take us through to the end of the season. So everyone is going to be important in different ways.
“The squad is settled now. We know what we’ve got, which is great. Stability is important for us and we’ll keep moving forward.”
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Manchester United should have let Tyrell Malacia go in January
Malacia’s career at Old Trafford has been over for almost three years, having missed the entire 2023/24 season before returning halfway through the 2024/25 season, with Amorim not keen on him.
This season, Malacia has been on the bench a lot, but played just once in a late cameo, which shows he isn’t needed.
So it would have made sense to let him leave in January, especially with exciting academy options likely challenging him for his spot right now.
Yuel Helafu has been in first-team training for United under Carrick and is arguably already a much better player, making the need for Malacia even less.
Carrick’s man management will be making Malacia feel important, and if called upon, he will surely give his all, but for the good of his career, the sooner he finds a new club, the better.
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