Manchester United

Simon Stone
Manchester United reporter

Image source, Getty Images

The key message from Michael Carrick earlier was 'don't underestimate Fulham'.

It is the reality of life at Manchester United these days that even successes tend to get followed with a 'but'.

When Carrick stepped into the job vacated by Ruben Amorim earlier this month, there had been an expectation United would go into this game in the bottom half of the table, fuelling the protests due to take place outside Old Trafford before kick-off.

As it has turned out, victories over Manchester City and Arsenal have shoved United into the Champions League spots.

Yet memories are still fresh of truly awful home performances against Everton, West Ham and Wolves towards the end of Amorim's reign.

West Ham, Wolves, Crystal Palace and Brighton all won at Old Trafford in the first half of 2025.

Having made such unexpected progress so quickly under Carrick, his players cannot afford to squander their gains.

"Just because we are at home, taking anything for granted is bang out of order," said Carrick.

If anything, Sunday's game will tell us much more about Manchester United's current state than the previous two.

Simon Stone
Manchester United reporter

Image source, Getty Images

Manchester United youngster Sekou Kone is set to join Swiss club Lausanne-Sport on loan for the rest of the season.

The highly rated Mali youth international was on the bench for three Premier League games last season but is yet to make his senior debut.

Kone, 19, has not made the progress many expected this season because of an extended period on the sidelines after he suffered a fracture eye socket in a heavy collision during a National League Cup tie at Tamworth in August.

The midfielder returned in December, when he started two under-21 games, but has been training with Lausanne, part of the same Ineos multi-club ownership group as United, since the middle of January.

Kone's move is yet to be formally announced but he is expected to be part of the first-team squad at Lausanne, who will take on Sigma Olomouc from the Czech Republic in next month's Conference League play-off round.

Sean Byrne
BBC Sport journalist

Manchester United boss Michael Carrick has been speaking to the media before Sunday's Premier League game against Fulham at Old Trafford (14:00 GMT).

Here are the key lines from his news conference:

• Carrick says Patrick Dorgu will be out for "a period of time" after he had to be taken off in their win over Arsenal. He added: "We weren't sure whether it was cramp or a little more serious. At the moment it looks a little more on the serious side."

• Carrick is still waiting to find out exactly how long Dorgu will be unavailable for, after reports he could miss 10 weeks.

• On if they have enough players to cover for Dorgu during his absence: "It's not ideal, of course it's not. We don't want to lose good players. That's part of having a squad - to be able to cover certain things. We have players that can do that."

• On Joshua Zirkzee's fitness: "Zirkzee is back training this week, which is good news. First time [he has] as he's been out for a short amount of time. Great to have him back."

• On Matthijs de Ligt: "He's not training with us yet. We're just working through the process of getting him back as soon as we can."

• On Bruno Fernandes' future at the club: "Let's not get too far ahead. We're working towards this game. That is on the agenda a little bit, but my main agenda is getting through the game on Sunday and Bruno is fully committed. Absolutely no issues at all. There are things further down the line to address towards the end of the season, but everything is positive at the moment. No reason to be anything otherwise."

• On potential transfer movement before Monday's deadline: "We are just working through it. Never say never because a lot can happen and situations can be thrown up. Sometimes it is in our control, sometimes not. I am pretty calm and we have shown what we are capable of as a team."

• On the Fulham game: "The boys are in a good place. All of a sudden it is a different game, but taking anything for granted because we are at home is bang out of order."

You can listen to full match commentary on BBC Radio 5 Live and BBC Sounds at 14:00 on Sunday

Follow all of Friday's Premier League news conferences and the rest of the day's football news

What do you want to know about Man Utd? Get in touch here

If you want to hear more from Carrick, you can also listen to the interim head coach ahead of their game with Fulham here

Simon Stone
Manchester United reporter

Image source, Getty Images

As Michael Carrick has made a point of stating he wasn't going to tell the media his team in both his pre-match news conferences as Manchester United head coach over the past fortnight, it is safe to assume he will not be offering an insight into how he will replace Patrick Dorgu for Sunday's Premier League game against Fulham.

However, he may offer an insight into his thinking and also the specifics around what he loses through Dorgu's absence with a hamstring injury.

The club have offered no specifics about Dorgu's likely absence – but we are talking a number of weeks – or if it will change thinking around activity before Monday's transfer deadline.

I am expecting Toby Collyer's loan to Hull to be confirmed today and Ethan Wheatley's proposed move to Bradford is yet to be concluded.

There is also significant interest in the Football League about United's under-21 winger James Scanlon, who is a full international for Gibraltar.

Rumours persist about Joshua Zirkzee and a return to Italy but so far, there has been no indication from United they are willing to let the Netherlands frontman leave.

Manchester United will not be signing Chelsea midfielder Cole Palmer, 23, this summer, as bosses know the England international is out of the club's price range. (Mirror), external

Real Madrid want to sign Manchester United and Portugal full-back Diogo Dalot, 26, because of their defensive weaknesses. (Fichajes - in Spanish), external

Want more transfer stories? Read Friday's full gossip column

Follow the gossip column on BBC Sport

Joshua Zirkzee is an option for Juventus, with Manchester United now open to the forward leaving them on loan. (Gazzetta dello Sport - in Italian), external

Manchester United are also considering what to do with Harry Maguire, who is out of contract at the end of the season. There have not been substantive talks with the defender and teams in Italy and Turkey have been in touch with his agent. (Athletic - subscription required), external

Want more transfer stories? Read Thursday's full gossip column

Follow the gossip column on BBC Sport

Simon Stone
Manchester United reporter

Image source, Getty Images

Manchester United have brought Adam Lawrence back to the club to take over their under-21 side until the end of the season.

Lawrence left United in the summer after four years, the last two as under-18 coach, and moved to Newcastle. However, he left his role as the club's under-21 player development lead earlier this month.

It means he will know many of the players he will inherit in an under-21 squad who are currently top of the Premier League 2 table.

Lawrence was reintroduced to United staff on Wednesday morning. It is thought his return has gone down well at the club, where he was a popular figure.

Darren Fletcher will continue in his role as under-18 coach. That was always his plan once his spell as interim first-team coach came to an end. United have reached the last-16 of the FA Youth Cup and beat Burnley in the Premier League Under-18 North division on Tuesday thanks to an injury-time goal from Louie Bradbury.

United's under-21 coach Travis Binnion stepped up with Fletcher but he has remained with the senior squad as part of Michael Carrick's coaching group. Tom Curtis has been filling in with the under-21s in the meantime.

Image source, Getty Images

If Manchester United finish in the top four of the Premier League this season, interim boss Michael Carrick must be made permanent in the summer, says United podcast presenter Gaz Drinkwater.

On this week's episode of BBC Radio Manchester's The Devil's Advocate podcast, co-hosts Drinkwater and Joe McGrath discussed what to do about Carrick's future after United beat Arsenal on Sunday.

"There's worry about Manchester United and what happens going forward, like is the bubble going to burst?" McGrath said.

"There's also people shining a mirror onto Ole Gunnar Solskjaer's first run of games in charge and going 'this is what happened with Ole', he a had a great run of form and then we signed him up on a full contract and we got the iconic Rio Ferdinand slapping down a piece of paper [video].

"Are you worried this is going to be Ole 2.0?"

Drinkwater replied: "You know in cartoons, or like Scooby Doo where they'll have a plan A like 'let's use the key and try and get in the basement' and they try it once and it doesn't work and they go 'oh let's go to plan B' but hang on a minute – why don't you just try plan A again?

"Just because it doesn't go right the first time, doesn't mean under a completely new set of circumstances it can't work a second time. If Michael Carrick gets top four, he has to get the Manchester United job."

Listen to the full episode on BBC Sounds

Carrick: 'The boys have been fantastic'

Manchester United had their eyes on Chelsea's Cole Palmer but the Blues consider the 23-year-old "untouchable" and regard the England international, who is contracted until 2033, a key player in the club's future. (Sky Sports), external

The representatives of 29-year-old Manchester United keeper Andre Onana, who is on loan at Trabzonspor, have held talks about the Cameroon international returning to former club Inter Milan in the summer. (Mail), external

Want more transfer stories? Read Wednesday's full gossip column

Follow the gossip column on BBC Sport

Simon Stone
Manchester United reporter

Image source, Getty Images

Manchester United goalkeeper Senne Lammens says his team-mates must prove they can beat different types of opposition when they entertain Fulham at Old Trafford on Sunday.

Unexpected victories against Manchester City and Arsenal at the start of Michael Carrick's stint as head coach until the end of the season have catapulted United into the top four for the first time this season.

There is four points between them and seventh-placed Fulham, meaning European qualification, the stated aim at the start of the season, is now well within their grasp.

But Lammens knows United must prove themselves against different kinds of opposition.

The Belgian was not at Old Trafford when Fulham came from behind to draw and were unlucky not to win at Craven Cottage in August.

Fulham boss Marco Silva offered a detailed explanation afterwards for how his side turned the game around.

With five wins in their last eight games, Fulham are exactly the type of team United have struggled against, and recent home draws against West Ham, Bournemouth and Wolves, plus a defeat by 10-man Everton, are part of the reason why Ruben Amorim lost his job.

"Sometimes, they are the most difficult ones, the ones you 'have to win'," said Lammens.

"We know we can play against those better teams, so now we have to win against those teams who are maybe a little bit more difficult to play against, who play with low blocks.

"If you want to be a great team, you have to win against those teams as well."

Alex Turk
Fan writer

"Let him sign the contract. Ole's at the wheel man, he's doing his thing, Man Utd are back."

Rio Ferdinand in 2019, there, running off pure dopamine provided by Ole Gunnar Solskjaer's sensational stint as Manchester United's interim manager.

You'd be forgiven if you re-hashed his now-infamous outburst on Sunday evening after United beat the Premier League leaders Arsenal.

Michael Carrick's side went to the Emirates and won the match by putting three brilliant goals past Arsenal - who were unbeaten and had only conceded six times at home all season

That was, by the way, just nine days after demolishing Arsenal's closest challengers, Manchester City, in the derby at Old Trafford.

However, any judgement of Carrick's credentials for the permanent job should wait for another month or so.

Without trying to burst your bubble, Carrick now faces a new test entirely… one which Ruben Amorim failed at miserably.

The interim United boss is deservedly being heralded for his overall record. Two wins over Mikel Arteta's Arsenal, defeats of Pep Guardiola's City and Unai Emery's Villarreal, and a draw with Thomas Tuchel's Chelsea.

Yet, those are the situations in which multiple United teams of the last decade have tended to thrive in. When they have more than 50% possession… that's the real problem.

United's next three games are winnable on paper. Fulham and Spurs at home, followed by a trip to relegation-threatened West Ham United.

But can Carrick orchestrate his United team to break down a defence and use the ball well when they have most of it? That question has yet to be answered.

Amorim's United failed to beat seven of the Premier League's current bottom eight. That has been the Red Devils' kryptonite.

If Carrick is to guide this club back to the Champions League, he must mastermind a different outcome.

Find more from Alex Turk at Turk Talks FC, external

Simon Stone
Manchester United reporter

Image source, Getty Images

Two weeks ago, the loss of Patrick Dorgu would not have been viewed as particularly significant for Manchester United.

But Michael Carrick made a big call to select him as his left-sided attacker against Manchester City and Dorgu responded with a performance of energy and purpose, scoring but also shielding Luke Shaw at full-back and helping to smother City's attack.

The return of Matheus Cunha, who Carrick admitted was disappointed to be left out against City and Arsenal, seems automatic.

The former Wolves man will offer more invention going forward. But he lacks Dorgu's defensive discipline, which will ask more of Shaw, plus midfielders Casemiro and Kobbie Mainoo.

If there is an alternative it would seem to come via Mason Mount, who is more defensively aware, has the creativity, and has played just once - as an 89th-minute substitute under Carrick so far.

Former Premier League striker Chris Sutton praised Michael Carrick on BBC Radio 5 Live's Monday Night Club after his "brilliant start" as interim head coach of Manchester United, but argues that he must be judged over a longer period of time.

WATCH MORE: How 'superb' Fernandes led Man Utd to win at Arsenal

Watch the full episode on BBC iPlayer and listen on BBC Sounds

Pat Nevin
Former footballer and presenter

Image source, Getty Images

Manchester United's simplified style again showed that football doesn't need to be overcomplicated and certainly shouldn't be too prescriptive regarding systems.

Suddenly Michael Carrick has them in fourth with the promised land of Champions League qualification now a real possibility.

The players look like they have had straitjackets removed, the fans are still blinking in the sunlight after being sprung from prison.

Bomb squads and bad morale at the training ground seem to be from another dark, unhappy age. No-one has benefited more than Bruno Fernandes, who can now be himself and create at will.

Manchester United aren't always the most popular team in England outside of the legions of their own fans, but it would take the hardest of hearts not to wish Carrick and his staff some success - and the fans some respite after years of Premier League pain.

Sign up to read more from Pat Nevin in his Football Extra newsletter

Juventus are interested in Manchester United forward Joshua Zirkzee and Liverpool winger Federico Chiesa. (Gazzetta dello Sport - in Italian), external

Meanwhile, United captain Bruno Fernandes is set to wait until the end of the season before deciding on his future, with the 31-year-old midfielder's current deal running until 2027 and having the option of a further year. (Mirror), external

Want more transfer stories? Read Tuesday's full gossip column

Follow the gossip column on BBC Sport

Simon Stone
Manchester United reporter

Image source, Getty Images

Manchester United full-back Diogo Dalot says it was the right decision not to send him off in the Manchester derby.

City boss Pep Guardiola was fuming that Dalot was not shown a red card for his early foul on Jeremy Doku at Old Trafford.

Referee Anthony Taylor gave a yellow and that stance was backed up by VAR Craig Pawson, with PGMO chief Howard Webb saying the pair reached the right conclusion.

Predictably, Dalot thinks so too.

"I am really comfortable with what happened," the Portugal international told BBC Radio Five Live.

"In my opinion he took the right decision because there was no big intensity in the challenge.

"In football it can go both ways, and it is always about interpretation.

"I am not afraid of being aggressive or putting every mile onto the pitch. It is what I have been doing for this club for a long time.

"As long as I wear this shirt, I will not hide myself and I will not play the victim."

The latest edition of BBC Radio Manchester's The Devils' Advocate podcast has dropped on BBC Sounds.

Gaz Drinkwater, Joe McGrath and Tom Cooney discuss Manchester United's impressive Premier League win over Arsenal and what to do about Michael Carrick's future.

Listen to the full episode here

Explore all Manchester United content on BBC Sounds

We asked for your thoughts after Sunday's Premier League game between Arsenal and Manchester United.

Here are some of your comments:

Arsenal fans

Tim: We should have had the game wrapped up after 30 minutes. A mistake from Martin Zubimendi (who has been brilliant this year) to gift a goal out of nowhere. A blip but one I am sure we will bounce back from and go on to greater things this season.

Craig: Arsenal looked scared and too cautious, trying to avoid losing rather than trying to win. Biggest issue was up front without Viktor Gyokeres. United defenders had no real threat to mark allowing them to press further up the pitch. Arsenal need to take this on the chin and put it behind them for next week.

Nigel: Every game there is no plan B or plan C. Arteta for all his genius is actually getting caught out, easily. United knew what we would do and mugged us off. Arteta has to win something this season or go. He's has no excuses.

Deep: Fair play to United. It's typical arsenal, crumbling once again. It's the hope that kills you.

United fans

Barry: The real test of the United players mentality comes in the next few weeks against the so-called lower teams. We've had these false dawns before.

John: I really do not want to get carried away but Michael Carrick is one shrewd and cool man in charge. Manages like he used to play. Early days yes but he is not to be underestimated.

Chris: Fantastic now we are beginning to see what United can do, Carrick is doing a great job.

Gem: Absolutely wonderful to finally see Saint Michael Carrick galvanise the group. Great goals but wish Bruno would concentrate on leading rather then whinging in the first 25 minutes. Cunha brilliant finish, come on you Reds.