Carrick tells Manchester United to compete, not just enjoy Champions League return

Michael Carrick has challenged Manchester United to make a serious impact on their return to the Champions League, insisting his squad is capable of competing with Europe’s leading sides.

United begin their league phase campaign against Azerbaijani champions Sabah at Old Trafford on Thursday, returning to club football’s elite competition for the first time in three years.

Carrick guided United to third in the Premier League during his interim spell last season before being appointed permanent manager. He said the club’s return should be treated as an opportunity to achieve something, rather than simply celebrate being involved.

“It’s a magical competition. It’s where we all want to be,” Carrick said.

“When you’re out of it, you realise how special it is, and when you’re in it, you want to make the most of it.

“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.”

United have endured disappointing recent Champions League campaigns. They were eliminated in the group stage in two of their last three appearances and have not reached the last 16 since 2019.

Their start to the current Premier League season has also been modest, with four points from matches against Hull, Ipswich and Everton.

However, Carrick believes his side have already demonstrated that they can perform against strong opposition. United defeated Arsenal, Manchester City, Liverpool and Chelsea during the second half of last season.

“I think we’re capable of doing some really good things in this competition and going further down the line in this competition,” he said.

“Certainly not getting ahead of ourselves because some part of it is a new experience for some of the players.

“But the boys are used to playing European football for the most part in different competitions, and we’ll take that forward, and we’ve got a squad that’s strong enough to compete.”

United played only 40 matches last season, their lowest total since the 1914/15 campaign. Their Champions League involvement will now bring a significantly more demanding schedule.

Carrick said his players needed to embrace that workload and trust the depth of the squad, rather than view the number of fixtures as a problem.

“We play Thursday, Sunday, Wednesday and it’s what we’re here for,” he said. “It’s about managing the group and having trust in everyone able to play.”

He also confirmed that Matthijs de Ligt is close to returning after almost a year out with a back injury.

Benjamin Sesko could make his first start of the season after scoring as a substitute in Sunday’s 2-2 draw at Everton.