Michael Carrick will preview Man Utd's clash with Bournemouth today
Michael Carrick will preview Man Utd's clash with Bournemouth today
It's press conference day as Michael Carrick previews Manchester United's trip to Bournemouth.
got back to winning ways last time out as they gave their Champions League qualification hopes a huge boost with a win over Aston Villa. In doing so, masterminded a victory over a manager who has been tipped as a possible full-time boss at Old Trafford, and the interim head coach can do the same again on Friday when he goes head-to-head with Andoni Iraola.
Carrick will give team news updates and the latest on the injury front this afternoon, and we'll bring you every word from the United boss.
The Under-18s are in FA Youth Cup action this evening, and Carrick could also be asked whether he will be attending the fixture, having been seen at a whole host of academy games since taking the reins at Old Trafford in January.
Follow our live blog below for build-up and updates from today's press conference.
United handed £100m Tonali transfer stance
do not have long to wait before they have the opportunity to strengthen their squad in the transfer window.
has guided United to third place in the table during his two months in charge as the club’s interim head coach. Such form has seen plenty of speculation about whether the 44-year-old could get the job on a permanent basis at the end of the season.
Qualification for the is likely to have a major impact on what business United could do when the summer transfer window opens.
Champions League boost
United's Champions League hopes were boosted on Tuesday night after Arsenal sealed their European progression into the competition's quarter-final stage. The Gunners defeated Bayer Leverkusen 2-0 thanks to goals from Eberechi Eze and Declan Rice.
The is hoping to retain a fifth spot for Europe's top competition. To do so, they need to place among.
Read on here >>>
When Ruben Amorim was sacked by United, some fans and pundits believed it was the wrong decision. It hasn't taken long for that opinion to be proven wrong by Carrick, who has won seven of nine.
are third in the Premier League, six points clear of fifth position. The bookmakers have priced Carrick's side as near-certainties to qualify for the Champions League. It was a long shot when Amorim was in charge.
Carrick and his backroom staff deserve to be lauded for their impact, but the last two months have reflected poorly on Amorim, who was holding the club back with his management.
Read on here >>>
Injury updates to come
Carrick will be asked if there are any injury updates this afternoon.
Matthijs de Ligt has been sidelined since the trip to Crystal Palace in November, while Lisandro Martinez has missed the last four matches. Patrick Dorgu has been out since the victory over Arsenal, so we'll hope for some positive news on the trio today.
United academy chief chat
When Sir Jim Ratcliffe singled out the United academy as having "slipped" with some of his customary direct feedback in October, he highlighted the appointment of Stephen Torpey as evidence of change.
Torpey is the latest recruit from the blueprint Ratcliffe so admires, and that introduction from the United co-owner was pretty clear.
Read what Torpey said here >>>
When is Carrick speaking?
Carrick will speak to the media at 1.30pm today and the quotes will be available for everyone to read at 2.30pm.
Hello and welcome to our live blog of Carrick's pre-Bournemouth press conference.
The United boss will speak today as he previews the clash with the Cherries. United have put themselves into a strong position to qualify for next season's Champions League and a win on Friday night would further tighten their grip on third place.
Bournemouth are winless in their last four games and so Carrick will see this as a huge opportunity to open up the gap between his side and the chasing pack before the rest of the Premier League games this weekend.
The United boss will give the latest on the injury front today along with the team news ahead of Friday night, and we'll have all the updates you need right here.