Manchester United interim manager Michael Carrick will get a boost as two stars join up with his squad days before a fiery debut against Manchester City at Old Trafford
16:25, 14 Jan 2026Updated 17:36, 14 Jan 2026
Michael Carrick has something to celebrate ahead of his first outing as Manchester United’s interim manager – against Manchester City, no less…(Image: Ben Roberts Photo/Getty Images)
Manchester United’s squad problems are beginning to resolve themselves, and at the perfect moment too, as Michael Carrick prepares for his first match as interim manager in Saturday’s Manchester derby at Old Trafford.
United have found it difficult to gain the upper hand against local rivals Manchester City in recent years, managing just one victory in their last five encounters on home turf. This latest instalment of the historic rivalry comes as the Red Devils have recently implemented sweeping changes to their coaching setup.
Previous boss Ruben Amorim was sacked earlier this month. On Tuesday – just four days ahead of Pep Guardiola’s team’s arrival – an agreement was reached for former United midfielder Carrick to return as interim manager for the rest of the 2025/26 season.
European qualification is still within reach for United this season, and Carrick is keen to get off to the best possible start at Old Trafford – with a baptism of fire against Manchester City this weekend. That’s why the sight of Amad and Bryan Mbeumo back at Carrington was such a boost.
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Both players have been absent since mid-December, having been called up to represent their respective countries in this year’s Africa Cup of Nations. Amad was part of the reigning champions Ivory Coast team, while Mbeumo played for Cameroon.
Unfortunately, both experienced defeat in the quarter-finals last weekend. Ivory Coast were knocked out by Egypt, while Cameroon lost to tournament hosts Morocco, who boast fellow United star Noussair Mazraoui in their ranks.
Despite the personal disappointment, this means they can now focus on their club campaign for 2025/26, returning to a very different United than the one they left last month. With Carrick at the helm, both returning players could find themselves competing for a starting spot.
Amad and Bryan Mbeumo were back for Michael Carrick’s first training session as Man Utd boss(Image: Ash Donelon/Manchester United via Getty Images)
The interim coach is planning to deviate from Amorim’s favoured 3-4-3 formation, opting instead for a back-four. Carrick typically set his team up in a 4-2-3-1 formation during his time in charge of Championship outfit Middlesbrough.
The previous arrangement allowed both players to start, with Mbeumo in the attack and Amad overlapping but tasked with more defensive duties. Before their departure for AFCON, the former netted seven goals and provided one assist in 17 appearances for United, while the latter contributed two goals and two assists.
However, it was Amad who shone brighter at AFCON. In his own attacking role, the 23-year-old scored three times and assisted once in five games, compared to Mbeumo’s single assist in the same number of appearances.
So, Carrick has a crucial choice to make regarding who will start on the right wing when United face City this weekend.
Michael Carrick will take charge of United against Man City this weekend(Image: Getty)
“Having the responsibility to lead Manchester United is an honour,” the former England international declared upon his appointment. “I know what it takes to succeed here, my focus is now on helping the players to reach the standards that we expect at this incredible club, which we know that this group is more than capable of producing.
“I have worked with a number of the players already and have obviously continued to watch the team closely in recent years, I have total belief in their talents, dedication and ability to be successful here.”
“There is still a lot to fight for this season, we are ready to pull everyone together and give the fans the performances that their loyal support deserves.”
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