Manchester United went into the first international break of 2026-27 after salvaging a late point at Fulham, leaving them on five points from their opening five league matches. Michael Carrick admitted the margins have not gone their way, but insisted the signs are encouraging.

“It has been pretty fine ­margins [so far this season] that have flipped it [the wrong way],” Carrick told reporters at Craven Cottage. “I know we can do better … we need to do better at certain things. But I’m not despondent and down because we’re showing some good signs.”

Attention now turns to the visit of Tottenham Hotspur to Old Trafford on Saturday, although Carrick’s selection plans have been complicated by a growing injury list. Several players either returned early from international duty or are still being managed carefully, leaving United with uncertainty in multiple areas of the pitch.

Matthijs de Ligt remains out with a back problem, while Manuel Ugarte is also unavailable because of a knee issue. Amad Diallo, absent since pre-season, is still a doubt with an ankle problem, though he remains the most likely of that group to have a chance of involvement.

Kobbie Mainoo and Marcus Rashford both withdrew from England duty after picking up injuries against Fulham and are expected back in contention, but only as doubts until further updates arrive later this week. Benjamin Šeško is in a similar position after pulling out of Slovenia’s squad, with the striker saying he is “getting there” as he recovers from a shin problem.

Patrick Dorgu and Noussair Mazraoui are also uncertain after injury setbacks for Denmark and Morocco respectively. In goal, if Karl Darlow and Tom Heaton do not recover in time, Dermot Mee could again be asked to sit on the bench as backup to Senne Lammens.

The situation could also open the door for Carlos Baleba, who arrived injured from Brighton & Hove Albion and has spent his early weeks in Manchester building fitness. If Mainoo is unavailable, he could make his debut. Further forward, Rashford’s absence could lead to Matheus Cunha moving left, Bryan Mbeumo through the middle, and a possible first Premier League start for Shea Lacey on the right.

Manchester United have added 16-year-old winger Isaac Konde to their Under-18 group, with the move carrying a significance that stretches beyond one academy signing. It arrives amid the situation involving JJ Gabriel and also serves as another reminder of how uncommon direct movement between United and Liverpool remains.

Konde turns 17 next month, when he will be eligible to sign his first professional contract. According to The Athletic, an overall five-year agreement has already been reached, a clear signal that United see both immediate potential and a longer development path for him.

Direct switches between the two clubs have always been rare, particularly in youth football, and are virtually absent at senior level. Konde now joins a very short list of players to have made that leap.

Ethan Ennis did it in 2021, leaving Liverpool for Manchester United at 16. He went on to reach United’s Under-21s before leaving permanently this past summer for League One’s Stockport County. Scott Wootton also made the same journey around his 16th birthday in 2007 and later played four first-team matches.

A few others crossed when even younger. Charlie McNeill had a youth reputation built on scoring more than 600 goals. Born in Manchester, he had a brief link with Liverpool before joining United at about eight years old. Jack Harrison was seven when he was at Liverpool, then spent seven years in United’s academy before later making his name in the United States and eventually playing 181 Premier League matches for Leeds and Everton.

At senior level, no player has moved directly between the clubs for 62 years. The last was Phil Chisnall, a homegrown Manchester United forward who made 47 appearances and scored 10 goals. His opportunities diminished as George Best emerged, and he was offered the chance to join Liverpool in 1964.

The rivalry itself took time to harden. In the earlier decades, the sporting edge we now associate with the fixture had not yet fully formed, even if the wider industrial tension already existed. By the 1970s, that had changed.

Konde is not the only recent arrival from a rival academy. Central midfielder David Eze has joined United after leaving Manchester City, while last week Karim Cassim, also 17, arrived from City too. United have also seen James Scanlon and Habeeb Ogunneye leave for Arsenal, while Rio Ngumoha moved from Chelsea to Liverpool in 2024. JJ Gabriel’s own route included Arsenal, Chelsea and West Ham United before he moved out of London.

Michael Carrick has been able to shrug off the noise around his Manchester United future for now, but the scrutiny on him is already significant. A difficult start to the 2026/27 season has eroded the stability he brought after returning in January, and the mood around the club can change quickly.

United have often felt only a few poor results away from a crisis, and that tension could intensify if performances do not improve after the break. Tottenham Hotspur visit the Theatre of Dreams on Oct. 10, a fixture that could sharpen the focus even further. There is no clear indication that Carrick is under immediate threat, yet the possibility of another change in the dugout cannot be dismissed if results continue to disappoint.

If INEOS were ever pushed toward that route, there are several names that would come into view.

Eddie Howe remains an obvious point of discussion. He left Newcastle United in the summer after deciding he no longer had the energy to guide them through a rebuild following their exodus. His work there was widely admired, with Newcastle moving away from danger and back into Europe, reaching the Champions League twice and winning the League Cup in 2025. Even so, some will wonder whether he is suited to the unmatched pressure that comes with Old Trafford.

Julian Nagelsmann, once regarded as one of the game’s brightest coaching minds, has seen his reputation cool after mixed spells at Bayern Munich and with the German national team, whose 2026 World Cup ended badly. His link with Christopher Vivell could keep him in the conversation.

Fabian Hürzeler is also drawing attention after Brighton & Hove Albion’s 3–0 win over Arsenal and an encouraging start to his third season in charge. His work and his ideas have made him increasingly prominent.

Unai Emery has shown before how he can manage a rebuild, and at Aston Villa he is again handling a major turnover. The links to United remain limited, though he would require major convincing to leave.

Cesc Fábregas, meanwhile, continues to stand out through the alignment between him and the Como hierarchy, with his rise in management gathering pace.