Photo by Ash Donelon/Manchester United via Getty Images
Photo by Ash Donelon/Manchester United via Getty Images
Manchester United are under a month away from kicking off their 2026-27 Premier League season at Old Trafford under Red Devils head coach Michael Carrick.
Manchester United will begin their new campaign away from home and will visit MKM Stadium to face newly promoted Premier League side Hull City.
Michael Carrick is currently preparing for Man Utd’s upcoming Premier League campaign through the Red Devils’ pre-season summer tour.
The 45-year-old United legend will face a very different experience to Ruben Amorim — his Man Utd predecessor — with the number of fixtures in the 2026-27 season.
Head team coach Michael Carrick of Manchester United sits in the dugout ahead of the pre-season friendly match between Rosenborg and Manchester United at Lerkendal Stadion on July 24, 2026 in Trondheim, Norway.
Photo by Ash Donelon/Manchester United via Getty Images
Manchester United v Intercontinental FA: Super Cup NI - Boys Premier
Photo by Charles McQuillan/Getty Images
What is the minimum number of fixtures Man Utd could play across the 2026-27 campaign?
The Red Devils were reduced to a 40-match campaign last season under Ruben Amorim, ex-caretaker manager Darren Fletcher and ex-interim boss Michael Carrick.
Man Utd were without European football for the 2025-26 season and the Premier League club made early exits from the Carabao Cup and the FA Cup as well.
A humiliating defeat to Grimsby Town saw Man Utd crash out of the Carabao Cup’s second round before Brighton knocked them out in the FA Cup’s third round.
With the 2026-27 season on the horizon, including a return to the Champions League, United fans can expect a minimum of 48 matches to be played.
Premier League: 38 matches
Champions League: 8 matches
FA Cup: one match (automatic entry into the third round)
Carabao Cup (League Cup): one match (Man Utd’s European qualification means they will enter in the third round)
READ MORE: Michael Carrick is much more familiar with two of Man Utd’s final pre-season opposition teams than other ones
Ollie Watkins Dusan Vlahovic
Ollie Watkins Dusan Vlahovic
What is the maximum number of fixtures Man Utd could play in the 2026-27 season across all competitions?
Man Utd will already surpass the total amount of matches that were played last season ahead of playing in four different competitions in the 2026-27 campaign.
The Red Devils punched their ticket back into European football during Carrick’s interim reign after Amorim was sacked as Man Utd manager back in January.
If Man Utd did the unthinkable and managed to progress to the end stage of every cup competition, the Red Devils would play a maximum of 66 matches in total.
Premier League: 38 matches
Champions League: 17 matches (both the league phase and knockout rounds)
FA Cup: six matches
Carabao Cup (League Cup): five matches