Manchester United
Carrick plays down Mount concern but midfield doubts remain
Carrick eases Mount fears, but United’s midfield balance still looks open to question.
Michael Carrick has brushed aside fears of a setback for Mason Mount after Manchester United’s preseason draw with Paris Saint-Germain, insisting the change was made purely as a precaution.
“He got kicked,” the manager said. “We just wanted to be careful and look after him. We’ve been lucky with injuries so far [during preseason], so we wanted to be careful.”
That suggests there is no serious issue for Mount, who has already carried an unwanted injury record since arriving from Chelsea three years ago. He has missed an estimated 70 matches out of a possible 152, and could be back in contention quickly when United meet Leeds United in Dublin, Ireland on Wednesday.
Mount had been one of the more notable figures in preseason before the PSG game, often operating deeper than in previous seasons. That role has been viewed as one possible answer to United’s wider recruitment problem, with three weeks still left in the transfer window and several positions still needing attention.
Yet the deeper issue is not Mount alone. United’s midfield was short on depth last season, and since then Casemiro has left while Manuel Ugarte has suffered a long-term injury. Andrey Santos and Youri Tielemans have arrived with promise, but the balance is still one of two out and two in.
If Carrick begins the 2026/27 Premier League season with Santos, Tielemans, Mount and Kobbie Mainoo as his senior central midfield options, even one injury in that group could leave the squad exposed. Bruno Fernandes can play as a No. 8, as he did last season under Ruben Amorim, but that also moved him away from the No. 10 role where his assist numbers improved sharply.
Tyler Fletcher has featured often enough this summer to suggest he is viewed more as cover than a regular starter. Santos said after the final whistle in Gothenburg that he “prefers” to play as a No. 6, while Tielemans looks best placed to start most often and Mainoo remains an intriguing option once he reports back after his post-World Cup rest this week.
Chelsea
Mourinho reveals he was once set for Ferguson’s Manchester United role
Mourinho says he was set to replace Ferguson at United before changing course to return to Chelsea instead.
José Mourinho has disclosed that he was initially due to become Sir Alex Ferguson’s successor at Manchester United in 2013, before changing course and returning to Chelsea.
The revelation adds a fresh layer to one of the most scrutinised managerial transitions in recent Premier League history. David Moyes was ultimately chosen to follow Ferguson at Old Trafford after being personally selected by the departing manager. The appointment earned Moyes the nickname “The Chosen One”, but it proved to be a short-lived reign, ending before he completed a full season as United struggled to maintain the standards of the Ferguson era.
For years, that decision has been viewed as a major misstep by Ferguson and the Manchester United hierarchy. Mourinho’s version of events now presents a different path, one in which he was the intended successor before the deal collapsed.
On the new Netflix series Mourinho, the current Real Madrid manager said: “When I left Real Madrid, I signed to go to Manchester United after Sir Alex.”
Ferguson, who also appears in the docuseries, backed that account and described how close the arrangement came to being finalised.
“I sat him [Mourinho] down and explained the situation,” the 84-year-old claims. “As far as I was concerned, he was accepting. And then, within hours, it changed.”
Mourinho said he then reversed his decision and chose Chelsea, the club where he had already won two Premier League titles earlier in his career. Ferguson recalled the moment the change became clear: “One night, he phoned me and he was crying and he says: ‘Alex, I can’t take it. I’ve given my word to Chelsea and I’m not going to break my word.’
“The reason he gave to me, I could understand, but I was disappointed.”
Mourinho explained the choice in emotional terms: “One thing is love for football, another thing is love for a certain club,” Mourinho reasoned as he explained his decision to choose Chelsea over United..
“I think this is more powerful than love for football and fundamentally, after Real Madrid , I needed to feel that I’m loved.
“For me to lose the chance to be the coach to succeed Sir Alex Ferguson was dramatic, but I don’t regret [it] because it was a decision that I made with my heart.”
The disclosure leaves open the view that a different ending at Madrid might have altered Manchester United’s post-Ferguson years.
Manchester United
Rashford set for familiar shirt number after Manchester United return
Rashford is expected to return to Manchester United and take the vacant No. 14 shirt after
Marcus Rashford’s return to Manchester United brings an issue beyond the role he will be asked to play after 20 months away from the club. The 28-year-old left for Barcelona on loan last summer, with an option for the Catalans to make the move permanent for a fixed fee below market value, but few expected him to be back after only one season.
His old No. 10 shirt at Old Trafford has already gone to Matheus Cunha, meaning Rashford must choose again. According to Fabrizio Romano, the number he is expected to take is the vacant No. 14. It is the same shirt he wore at Barcelona, and the link appears to have carried weight for him after his spell there.
The No. 9 was also available, but No. 14 seems to be the preferred option. It is a number with a long history at United since fixed squad numbers were introduced in the Premier League in 1993.
United’s No. 14 has had 10 permanent holders, with Christian Eriksen the most recent before it was left open last season. Among the better-known names to wear it are Jesse Lingard and Javier Hernández, though the standout remains Andrei Kanchelskis. He was the first to wear No. 14 for the club in the division and went on to become a two-time Premier League champion. He also top-scored for United in the 1994-95 season with 15 goals in all competitions.
Fabrizio Romano also indicated that Rashford will be reintegrated into the Manchester United squad. The only exception would be an offer from a “top European club” during the final three weeks of the transfer window.
At present, there is little to suggest that such an offer will arrive. That leaves Rashford with a clear short-term task: re-establish himself at Manchester United, where he still has two years left on his contract.
Manchester United
Carrick confirms Rashford will rejoin United’s pre-season group
Carrick says Rashford will rejoin United in Dublin as the squad resumes pre-season.
Manchester United manager Michael Carrick has said Marcus Rashford will be back with the squad this week as pre-season work continues.
Rashford’s future remains unresolved, but Carrick made clear that the forward is due to return to training with the rest of the group, alongside other returning players. United’s schedule takes them to Dublin, where the manager expects to have everyone together for a short spell.
“I’ve played with him. I played in the game he made his debut, so we have a history,” Carrick reflected after Saturday’s 1–1 draw with Paris Saint-Germain .
“We have got a full squad this week in Dublin. We fly straight there and have a few days where we have the whole group back together.
“Marcus is part of that, and Kobbie [Mainoo] and Lisandro [Martínez]. We look forward to seeing them.”
The situation around Rashford has generated uncertainty, especially after he dropped out of favour under former boss Ruben Amorim for poor training levels. Even so, his ability remains clear. A return of 14 goals and 14 assists for Barcelona last season is evidence he still operates at a high level.
There will be questions around whether his salary matches his output, but those finances are unlikely to shape Carrick’s thinking. His priority is to get Rashford performing again at Old Trafford.
That need is particularly relevant on the left side of the attack. Matheus Cunha, a natural striker, and fullback Patrick Dorgu have both been used there under Carrick. Both have done well enough, yet the chance to restore a natural winger to that role is one the new manager is likely to welcome.
