Michael Carrick has declared his belief that Manchester United can achieve something special in this season's Champions League, as the club prepares to return to Europe's premier competition for the first time since 2023. United host Azerbaijani champions Sabah at Old Trafford on Thursday, marking the start of a campaign Carrick hopes will re-establish the club among the continent's regular contenders.
Despite a shaky start domestically, with United collecting just four points from their opening three Premier League fixtures, Carrick struck an upbeat tone when discussing his side's European prospects. He stressed that qualification for the tournament should be viewed as an annual expectation rather than a rare achievement.
"I think we're capable of doing some really good things in this competition and going further down the line in this competition, and then who knows when it gets to that stage. I'm not writing anything off," Carrick said. "We're delighted to be here, but we're not here to just enjoy the occasion. We're here to do business and go as far as we possibly can."
The United boss added that the club is eager to embrace the pressure that comes with high expectations. "We want to keep pushing, and the expectation is great. We want the expectation, we want the hope and the belief that we can achieve things quickly. That's the ultimate challenge, you know. We've done an awful lot of good work to be here in a short space of time, and credit to the players for that," he said.
Carrick also emphasized the significance of returning to the competition after United's recent absence from Europe's top table. "It means an awful lot," he said. "We've missed out on it for a number of years, and now we're back, so I think it means a lot, you know. It's where we want to be every single year and it's where we should expect to be without being ahead of ourselves."
The timing of the Sabah fixture presents a scheduling challenge, with United facing a Manchester derby just three days later on Sunday. Rivals Manchester City, who defeated Porto 2-0 in their own opener, will benefit from two additional days of rest before that clash. Carrick acknowledged the imbalance but insisted his squad would adapt. "I wouldn't say it is ideal but we have to deal the cards we have been dealt," he said.
Adding to the pre-match discussion was the fitness status of left-back Luke Shaw, who missed training on Wednesday. The 31-year-old, United's only recognized senior option in that position, was given a rest day following the club's recent fixture, with youngster Harry Amass emerging as a possible alternative should Shaw be unavailable. Carrick played down concerns over a lingering issue. "We just gave him an extra recovery day. We'll see by tomorrow how he is, but it's not an ongoing thing or a plan or anything like that. It was just off the back of the game [at Everton] the other day. So each individual has kind of different little things that we manage and Luke was one of them today," he explained.
Matthijs de Ligt also remains sidelined as he continues his recovery from a back injury sustained last November, though Carrick indicated the defender is making encouraging progress. Meanwhile, striker Benjamin Sesko could be nearing a first start of the season after working his way back from a shin problem, offering Carrick another selection option as United look to make an immediate statement in their long-awaited Champions League comeback.
Based on reporting from Independent Football and Standard Football.