Michael Carrick has confirmed Lisandro Martínez will not be available for Manchester United’s trip to Bournemouth on Friday, but said the Argentina international is progressing and is expected to be ready following the international break. “He’s getting there,” Carrick admitted. “So after this one, I think he’ll be alright.”

Carrick also addressed the wider defensive injury picture, highlighting the ongoing problem with Matthijs de Ligt. The Dutch defender was first sidelined in November, and early tests suggested a short absence, but he has not been seen since and a return date remains unspecified. “It’s [a] similar [situation] really and frustrating for Matta,” Carrick continued. “He’s obviously trying to work to get back but it’s just the back issue, really, that’s proving difficult. We’ll keep working as hard as we can, to get him back as quickly as we can.”

With De Ligt still sidelined, Martínez’s likely comeback after the break is a tangible boost for a side with limited central defensive options. At present the senior choices named are Harry Maguire, Leny Yoro and 19-year-old Ayden Heaven.

The manager also offered an update on Mason Mount, who has faced repeated fitness problems since his move from Chelsea in 2023 in a package worth up to $75.7 million (£60 million). Mount has managed 66 appearances across all competitions for the club and has missed 58 matches through various fitness concerns. He returned to the bench as an unused substitute for the 3–1 win over Aston Villa at the weekend, and Carrick stressed caution over his reintroduction. “Starting would be too much, I think, at this point,” Carrick said of the midfielder.

Carrick’s remarks underline a careful approach to managing recovery across the squad as United prepare for a busy period that includes the visit of Leeds United on April 13 after the international break.

Opta’s supercomputer has produced a clear statistical view of the 2025–26 Premier League table, heavily favouring Arsenal while mapping out qualification and relegation probabilities. The model gives Arsenal 84.61 predicted points and a 97.46% chance of the title from their current 70 points. Manchester City sit on 61 points with a prediction of 74.70 and a 2.54% title chance.

The weekend’s results felt significant. Arsenal pulled further clear of Manchester City after a dramatic 2–0 victory over Everton inspired by the record-breaking feats of Max Dowman. City were held to a 1–1 draw against West Ham after Pep Guardiola warned that a slip up would be catastrophic. “Now it’s West Ham that defines the Premier League,” he declared. “Now we go there knowing that if we drop points, it will be over.” After the draw Guardiola insisted: “It’s not over.” The supercomputer remains unconvinced that City can close the gap.

Manchester United have opened up breathing room in the race for Champions League qualification. United sit on 54 points with a predicted 66.03 and a 78.07% chance of qualifying after a convincing 3–1 win over Aston Villa. “We are in a good position at the moment,” Michael Carrick admitted, “but still a lot to play for.”

The model projects Aston Villa, Liverpool and Chelsea to contest the remaining top-six positions, with Liverpool on 49 points and a predicted 61.80 (34.09% chance), and Chelsea on 48 points and a predicted 60.52 (23.21% chance). Dominik Szoboszlai captured the mood after Liverpool’s 1–1 draw with Tottenham: “We have to wake up because if we carry on like this, we should be happy with the Conference League.”

At the bottom, the supercomputer gives Burnley and Wolves near-certain relegation, while Leeds, Tottenham, Nottingham Forest and West Ham occupy the zone of greatest uncertainty. Tottenham headed into the weekend one point above the relegation zone and ended it level with Leeds, Forest and West Ham; the mood in north London has lifted after they ended their losing run.

The Opta projection frames the current landscape: Arsenal clear favourites, City still dangerous, United pushing for the top three, and a congested battle for European places and survival.

Bruno Fernandes moved clear of a 26-year Manchester United mark with two assists in the win over Aston Villa, setting a new club record for Premier League assists in a single season.

Those deliveries were his 15th and 16th of the 2025–26 campaign, eclipsing David Beckham’s total of 15 from the 1999–00 season. The assists helped secure a victory that mattered for United’s Champions League qualification push and extended the team’s home winning streak under Michael Carrick to five successive matches.

“I’m more proud and pleased because I did it serving my teammates. Giving joy to the others is also very good,” Fernandes told Sky Sports of his new record. “When you play in the position I play, I’m very happy I can help them to score and be happy in that moment.

“It’s a huge achievement for me, but the main achievement would be in the top spot at the end of the season.”

Carrick underlined Fernandes’s importance after the match. “He’s had so many big moments, whether it’s to score a goal or to make a pass, he is always there,” Carrick reflected on Fernandes postmatch. “He always puts himself forwards whether it’s training or a game.”

Fernandes’s influence runs deeper than this single-season record. In the Premier League alone he has supplied 67 assists in just over six years, a figure the club noted is two fewer than the number of goals he has scored in the competition. He has also joined Wayne Rooney and Ryan Giggs as the only Manchester United players in the Premier League era to reach 100 or more goals and 100 or more assists in all competitions.

“We’re delighted to have him. He’s not someone you’d want to lose,” Carrick enthused. “You can always count on him to be there. It’s a really good trait to have. He’s been through ups and downs here but it’s never knocked him. He is there to make the difference.”

United now sit third in the Premier League standings, having collected 22 points from a possible 27 under Carrick, and head into the coming fixtures in a stronger position.