As the Premier League resumes this weekend, the spotlight swings back to Manchester United's red half of the city. While Manchester City have commanded media attention throughout the international break, the reality facing United is far starker: another poor result could trigger a wave of scrutiny about whether Michael Carrick possesses the credentials to navigate them out of their current predicament.
This coming week, and indeed the entirety of October, represents a watershed moment for the club. A home fixture against winless Tottenham Hotspur on Saturday will be followed by away journeys to Atletico Madrid, Leeds United and Como, before the month concludes with matches against Bournemouth and Chelsea. Yet this demanding schedule also presents Carrick with a genuine opportunity to ignite their campaign.
The United manager has cited a succession of unfortunate circumstances contributing to their sluggish opening, but sympathy will wear thin as this next phase unfolds. Carrick has been reluctant to dwell publicly on his team's shortcomings, though he will be hoping the international break has provided genuine benefit to his squad.
The silver lining is that numerous players have had the chance to recover their form, rebuild their fitness and restore their self-belief. Matheus Cunha exemplifies this perfectly. The Brazilian has appeared somewhat below par this season, partly attributable to operating through the centre rather than his natural left-wing berth. With Cunha not selected by Brazil during the break, he has enjoyed valuable time to recalibrate following a difficult start to the campaign.
Cunha's prospects brighten considerably now that Amad Diallo has regained fitness, allowing Carrick to finally restructure an attacking unit that has underwhelmed despite generating some encouraging offensive metrics. Amad's availability on the right flank creates scope for Bryan Mbeumo to shift into a central role, while Cunha faces an intriguing competition with Marcus Rashford—subject to his fitness—for the left-sided position.
Carrick's attacking options have been constrained partly by Benjamin Sesko's unavailability, but he now possesses the flexibility to alter his team's complexion if circumstances demand it. Friday's pre-match press conference will prove particularly revealing, not merely for his reflections on Manchester City's trajectory and his own experience as a former player, but because team news ahead of Saturday's clash with Spurs will prove decisive.
Injury concerns cloud the squad's readiness. Noussair Mazraoui and Patrick Dorgu both departed their international assignments through injury, while Marcus Rashford and Kobbie Mainoo withdrew from England duty, and Benjamin Sesko pulled out of Slovenia's fixtures. Yet reinforcements are arriving.
Beyond Amad's return, Matthijs de Ligt edges closer to full availability. More significantly, summer acquisition Carlos Baleba stands on the cusp of his competitive debut. The midfielder, who arrived in a deal comprising an initial £65 million with up to £5 million in add-ons according to ESPN, has recovered from an ankle injury sustained during Brighton's pre-season preparations and has utilised the international window to settle into life at Carrington.
Baleba has integrated smoothly with staff and players and completed his first media commitments as a United player this week alongside Amad, signalling his readiness to feature whenever Carrick deems appropriate. The midfielder has already made his first appearance in a behind-closed-doors friendly against Lausanne-Sport on October 2, starting in a 2–1 victory, demonstrating his accelerating integration into the squad.
The timing of Baleba's arrival carries different weight than it might have done. Had United begun positively, he could have been introduced gradually. Instead, with the club having accumulated merely five points from five games and sitting on a four-game winless domestic run despite registering a league-high 113 shots, his significance has intensified dramatically.
The midfield partnership of Youri Tielemans and Kobbie Mainoo has demonstrated Carrick's pre-season thinking. It appears the correct combination for certain fixtures and circumstances, particularly at home when United feel more assured controlling possession and dictating tempo, but consistency remains elusive. Baleba will inject qualities this midfield has lacked since Casemiro's summer departure.
Beyond his physical presence, he possesses the capacity to transform proceedings at both ends of the pitch. Defensively, he can provide superior protection to a backline that has conceded too freely this season, particularly during transitions when United are exposed. His range of passing and ball-carrying ability through midfield—attributes that impressed during his Brighton tenure—represent qualities the club has largely been without in that area for years, perhaps since Paul Pogba's presence.
Whether Baleba proves transformative remains premature to judge, but given what Carrick requires, especially with the fixture list ahead, he could emerge as United's most consequential summer acquisition.
