Michael Carrick will speak to the media this afternoon ahead of Manchester United's clash with Aston Villa
Michael Carrick will speak to the media this afternoon ahead of Manchester United's clash with Aston Villa
Manchester United interim head coach Michael Carrick will conduct his pre-match press conference this afternoon ahead of the visit of Aston Villa.
return to action this weekend following another long break. The Reds lost 2-1 to Newcastle last week as their Champions League qualification hopes took a blow. A victory over would cement their place in third and open up a gap between themselves and Unai Emery's team.
are expected to be without a few players despite the break. is unlikely to return on Sunday as his recovery from a calf injury continues. Martinez, and were all spotted at Carrington this week but were not involved in team training.
Mason Mount appeared to be absent too having been out with a knock since the start of February. Noussair Mazraoui picked up an injury at Newcastle but returned to training on Wednesday.
Follow Carrick's press conference below:
A look at the table
United are locked on 51 points with Aston Villa. Chelsea are three points behind in fifth while Liverpool are in sixth but they have the same number of points as Liam Rosenior's side.
Every game will be crucial in the fight for Champions League football but you can't underestimate how big an occasion it will be when the teams fighting it out for a place in the top four (or five!) face each other.
Carragher's comments have reignited the debate around whether Emery would be a good option for United this summer as they search for a permanent head coach.
This weekend will be a huge test of Carrick's credentials.
Jamie Carragher has insisted that Villa boss Unai Emery should be the frontrunner for the job ahead of this weekend's
United welcome Villa to looking to further cement their spot in top four places. Carrick has managed to lift the club into the spots after a fine start to life as interim head coach.
Aston Villa manager Unai Emery (Image: Getty Images)
Familiar faces
Victor Lindelof could be back at Old Trafford this weekend as his Villa side face United.
One man who won't be in the matchday squad is Jadon Sancho. The United loanee is not eligible to face his parent club and so will play no part in Sunday's game.
(Image: Getty Images)
Your United questions answered
Another week without a game for United, but that doesn't mean the Old Trafford news machine grinds to a halt. Carrick is preparing his side for the visit of Aston Villa on Sunday and behind the scenes there is plenty going on. The defeat at Newcastle was the first major blot on Carrick's record and it's put the search for a permanent head coach back at the front of the agenda, even if Carrick rightly remains the favourite to stay on.
The head coach did suggest last week that United need a left-winger and that will be one area of focus in a busy transfer window this summer. Central midfielders will also be a priority. Transfers, United's loanees and who will be in the dugout next season all crop up in today's Q&A. We run weekly question and answer sessions, so click to submit your questions, and we'll answer them next week.
Read our full Q&A session
(Image: Getty)
Carrick's press conference will take place at 12.30pm with an embargo in place for 1.30pm. Once the embargo lifts, we will have everything the United interim boss had to say.
Good morning and welcome to our LIVE press conference blog.
It has been another lengthy gap without a United game but the Reds return this Sunday when they face Aston Villa at Old Trafford. Should United win, they will move three points ahead of Villa.
It will also be a test of Carrick to see how he reacts to United's first real setback. The interim head coach is under consideration for the permanent position and Ineos will be interested to see how his team can bounce back.
Stay tuned for updates...