Michael Carrick might not need a Manchester United fan-favourite for the Red Devils’ forthcoming Premier League showdown with Tottenham at Old Trafford on Saturday.
The Red Devils will welcome Thomas Frank’s men to Old Trafford and Michael Carrick’s side are the favourites to come out with another big Premier League result.
Ruben Amorim deserves ___ % credit for Michael Carrick’s BRILLIANT start at Man Utd
Fill in the blank. Did Amorim lay the foundation for success at Old Trafford?
Michael Carrick and Ruben Amorim as Man Utd managers split image
Michael Carrick and Ruben Amorim as Man Utd managers
Carrick took his place in the Old Trafford hot seat and the 44-year-old United legend has already engineered major wins over Manchester City, Arsenal and Fulham.
The Man Utd interim manager has put the Red Devils into the top-four picture and momentum is now on Carrick’s side after the club’s run of form under him.
But Thomas Frank is under immense pressure at Spurs in his debut season and Tottenham will arrive at Old Trafford on the back of being in 14th place in the table.
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Manchester United interim head coach Michael Carrick speaks with interim assistant head coach Steve Holland during the Premier League match between Manchester United and Fulham at Old Trafford in Manchester, England, in 2026.
Photo by Paul ELLIS / AFP via Getty Images
Matthijs de Ligt’s absence is a major blow for Man Utd, but Michael Carrick can turn to Lisandro Martinez for the Tottenham match
Matthijs de Ligt continues his long-term absence from the Manchester United starting XI after Michael Carrick ruled out the defender for the Tottenham match.
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The 26-year-old Dutchman has missed the last 12 matches for the Red Devils after he suffered an injury in Man Utd’s 2-1 win over Crystal Palace last November.
Matthijs de Ligt was a key United first-team player for Ruben Amorim and impressed early in the 2025-26 season before his injury setback against Crystal Palace.
How worried are you about Matthijs de Ligt and Mason Mount’s injury battles?
Matthijs de Ligt and Mason Mount split
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However, the former Ajax and Bayern Munich defender’s absence has already been filled by Lisandro Martinez’s return from a long-term knee injury in 2025.
Lisandro Martinez has been in the starting XI for all three of Carrick’s Man Utd interim matches so far and has offered much-needed stability to the backline.
The 28-year-old Argentine appears to be back to his best and has started and completed the full 90 minutes of his last six Premier League matches.
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Harry Maguire can offer exactly what Matthijs de Ligt did last time for Man Utd in the Tottenham match in 2025
United blew a 1-0 lead against Tottenham late in the second half last November and Spurs were 2-1 up at home in injury time in their Premier League clash.
However, Matthijs de Ligt stepped up and scored a stunning – and dramatic – late header to secure a point for Man Utd in the 2-2 draw against Tottenham in 2025.
Harry Maguire started the Tottenham match and came off in the second half, with former United manager Ruben Amorim bringing on Leny Yoro in the 72nd minute.
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The 32-year-old, much like Lisandro Martinez, has had a steady run since his return from injury and has played the full 90 minutes in Carrick’s first three matches.
Harry Maguire, who missed nine consecutive Premier League matches in the tail end of 2025 due to a thigh problem, can offer the aerial threat that De Ligt can provide.
The link-up between Maguire and Martinez should be more than enough to make up for what De Ligt brought to the table last time at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.
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