Michael Carrick believes that Matheus Cunha is comparable with Amad Diallo for their respective attacking ranges ahead of the Newcastle match on Wednesday.
Matheus Cunha has been a key attacking option for Michael Carrick after wing-back Patrick Dorgu was sidelined with a hamstring injury in January.
Patrick Dorgu had started on the left wing in Carrick’s first two Premier League matches as interim boss, but Cunha has since stepped up to fill the void.
Amad Diallo has mainly played out on the right wing for the 44-year-old Manchester United interim boss, but he was dropped for the Red Devils’ last outing on Sunday.
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Casemiro celebrates with teammates Amad Diallo and Matheus Cunha during the Premier League match between Manchester United and Fulham at Old Trafford in 2026 in Manchester, England.
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Michael Carrick breaks down the importance of Matheus Cunha and Amad Diallo for Man Utd’s attacking picks
Manchester United legend Michael Carrick sat down and spoke with the media on Tuesday afternoon for his pre-match Premier League press conference.
The news embargo on the second half of the Red Devils interim head coach’s presser was lifted on Tuesday evening ahead of Wednesday’s clash.
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Carrick was asked about his United tactics and the left-winger role in the 4-2-3-1 formation that he has been deploying since he returned to Old Trafford.
The United legend insisted that the Red Devils are trying to strike a “balance” overall and believes that Matheus Cunha and Amad Diallo are perfect examples of that.
“We’re always looking at the balance of the team and the squad, to give you the most flexibility,” he said at the Carrington training complex, as per Manchester United’s official website.
“So, it’s definitely something to look at, for sure. I think the way Matheus can play that, at times.
“Amad can do that. At times, he came on at West Ham and played off the left.“
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Michael Carrick celebrates after the Premier League match between Everton and Manchester United at the Hill Dickinson Stadium in 2026 in Liverpool, England.
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Michael Carrick thinks Matheus Cunha and Amad Diallo show how Man Utd can tap into the full extent of their squad talent
Amad was dropped to the bench for Man Utd’s 2-1 comeback win over Crystal Palace after the in-form Benjamin Sesko climbed back into the starting XI on Sunday.
Benjamin Sesko’s return to the Red Devils’ attacking set-up meant that Bryan Mbeumo was shifted back to the right-winger role for the match at Old Trafford.
Carrick explained that Cunha has the ability to cause problems for opposition teams when the Red Devils summer signing is in one-on-one encounters with players.
“There are different ways of doing it with the balance of the squad,” he said.
“We’ve got really good options across the frontline and can change things in games.
“We have done quite a lot, actually, sometimes small things and sometimes bigger things. But Matheus, when he plays outside, one-v-one, is tough to stop.”
Newcastle will host Man Utd at St James’ Park on Wednesday evening and the Red Devils’ latest Premier League match is scheduled for an 8:15pm kick-off in the UK.
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