Photo by Markku Ulander / Lehtikuva / AFP via Getty Images
Photo by Markku Ulander / Lehtikuva / AFP via Getty Images
Michael Carrick could now show how one first-team Manchester United star does fit into his plans for the 2026-27 Premier League season at Old Trafford.
The 45-year-old Manchester United manager has overseen two wins and one defeat from his three matches on the pre-season summer tour so far.
The Red Devils have only three pre-season fixtures left and United will cross paths with Paris Saint-Germain, Leeds United and AC Milan this month.
Carrick is currently seeing more United first-team players return to the Carrington training complex after this summer’s World Cup in North America.
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Head Coach Michael Carrick of Manchester United in action during a first team training session at Carrington Training Ground on July 20, 2026 in Manchester, England.
Photo by Ash Donelon/Manchester United via Getty Images
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Noussair Mazraoui returns to Man Utd and his future role under Michael Carrick could become more apparent
Noussair Mazraoui is one of the four Manchester United players who reported back for training ahead of the Paris Saint-Germain match in Sweden on Saturday.
The 28-year-old Man Utd defender had received an extended break after Morocco had reached the World Cup quarter-finals before France knocked them out.
Mazraoui started five of his six appearances for Morocco at the World Cup and showed a strong run of form for the Atlas Lions during their campaign.
The Morocco international is one of the most versatile players in the Man Utd first-team squad and has played in multiple positions on the pitch at Old Trafford.
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Mazraoui made 11 Premier League appearances under United legend Carrick in the 2025-26 campaign and five of those appearances came as starts for his side.
Carrick was able to experiment with the former Ajax and Bayern Munich star, including playing him as a makeshift centre-back against Chelsea in April.
There is now scope for the United manager to continue trying Mazraoui in different positions in order to ‘perfect’ his role under him ahead of the 2026-27 campaign.
Mazraoui has been linked with a move away from Old Trafford this summer, but the Morocco star still has a bigger purpose in Carrick’s plans for Man Utd going forward.