Carrick Rejects 'Easy Start' Claims Ahead of Hull Opener
Michael Carrick is having none of it.
Suggestions that Manchester United have been gifted a gentle glide into the new Premier League season have been dismissed by the manager as “pretty ridiculous” ahead of Saturday’s lunchtime trip to newly-promoted Hull City.
United begin away at the KCOM before hosting another top-flight newcomer, Ipswich Town, next weekend. On paper, some have painted it as a soft landing. Carrick bristled at the idea.
“First of all, for all of us now, this league, there's no favourable start, you know?” he said. “I think it's a tough start. Both teams, but not getting past Saturday. I think a newly-promoted team, away from home, is a tough, tough game. I've been involved in them in the past.
“So fully aware of what's at stake, what's coming at us on Saturday, what we've got to be ready for. So, it's not favourable. I think it's an easy thing to throw out there, but it's pretty ridiculous in a certain way and I'm not taking it that way at all.”
This is Carrick’s first full campaign as permanent boss at Old Trafford, and the tone is clear: no complacency, no excuses.
Sesko and Darlow back to bolster squad
United’s preparations are at least buoyed by timely reinforcements.
Benjamin Sesko and new goalkeeper Karl Darlow are expected to be included in the travelling squad after both returned to full training this week. Neither featured in any of the club’s six pre-season friendlies, but both are now available for selection.
Sesko, 23, has been out since early May with a shin injury sustained against Liverpool, a setback that wiped out his entire pre-season. Carrick sounded genuinely upbeat about having his striker back in the mix.
“Ben is back training, so that is another positive, and looking forward to having him back around the group and getting him some minutes,” he said.
For a side looking to sharpen its edge in both penalty areas, the return of a powerful centre-forward and an experienced goalkeeper arrives at just the right time.
Mount ‘touch and go’ but backed to shine
Not all the news is straightforward.
Mason Mount is “touch and go” for the opener after a foot injury picked up in the 1-1 pre-season draw with Paris Saint-Germain. It is another frustrating interruption for a player whose time at Old Trafford has been repeatedly disrupted by fitness problems, limiting him to just 72 appearances across three seasons.
Carrick, though, did not hesitate when asked about Mount’s level.
“First of all, Mason's a top player, top player,” he said. “We've seen that so far in the pre-season. He was one of our best players in the early stages in the games that he played and I thought he was fantastic.
“So not surprising, it's what I've seen before, what I expect, what I know of him.”
For Carrick, the key now is rhythm. Mount needs games, not more stop-start stretches on the treatment table.
“Of course, he's missed some football over recent years and he wants to be fit, he wants to be in that full rhythm and he wants to stay fit,” Carrick added. “So we're doing our best to help him do that, but he's a top player, Mase. Mason will be back very, very soon, if not immediately, so it's all good.”
United’s season could look very different if Mount finally strings together a sustained run.
Rashford reborn after Barcelona spell
Another storyline heading into Hull is the re-emergence of Marcus Rashford.
The forward has returned from a successful loan spell at Barcelona and, after previously slipping out of favour under former managers, has impressed Carrick throughout pre-season. Now 28, Rashford is pushing to make his Premier League return for United on Saturday.
“Marcus has come back fantastically well. He's enjoying his football, he looks fit, sharp, strong, and ready to play,” Carrick noted.
The manager also underlined Rashford’s tactical value. While his best work has often come from the left, his ability to operate through the middle gives United extra options in how they shape their attack across the campaign.
If Sesko’s power, Mount’s craft and Rashford’s renewed edge all click into place, the notion of an “easy start” will feel even more misguided. The real question is not how soft United’s opening fixtures are, but how hard this new-look side intends to hit the season.
