Manchester United
Carrick sets Baleba debut window amid ankle setback
Carrick says Baleba could debut before the September break after an ankle issue delays his United start.
Michael Carrick has outlined a cautious timeline for Carlos Baleba’s Manchester United debut, saying the new summer signing could be ready before the September international break despite an ankle problem.
United had been in the market for Baleba last summer, but Brighton’s £100 million valuation at the time made a deal unrealistic. The midfielder’s price later fell after a less consistent 2025-26 campaign on the south coast, allowing United to land a player they had tracked for some time.
For now, though, supporters will have to wait. Baleba will not be involved against Ipswich Town this weekend, with Carrick explaining that the Cameroon international arrived carrying an ankle issue that should keep him out for another couple of weeks.
“He’s got a little ankle issue,” Carrick told reporters. “So, maybe a couple of weeks or so [until he debuts], maybe three weeks, we’ll see. But we knew that before, so it’s no major issue. It’ll be great to have him back when we can.”
When asked whether Baleba could feature before the break, which begins on Sept. 21, Carrick kept the message measured. “It’s obviously new, you know, having the break to deal with. But we’ll wait and see. We’ll wait and see. We’re hopeful, but I don’t want to put any deadlines on it just yet.”
United’s opening league outing offered little encouragement. A trip to newly-promoted Hull City looked manageable on paper, but the performance was poor and ended in a 2-0 defeat at the MKM Stadium.
Santos and Tielemans, making their competitive debuts, both struggled before being replaced in the 67th minute. Baleba’s energy and defensive edge might have helped, but he will instead be introduced to the Old Trafford crowd when fit.
The broader concern is familiar enough for United. Second matches have often been problematic in the post-Sir Alex Ferguson era, and the club have not won their second Premier League game of a season since a 4-0 victory over Brighton & Hove Albion in 2020-21.
Bournemouth
Carrick sets out United standards in lengthy pre-match briefing
Carrick opened his briefing early, addressing United’s slump, standards and supporter expectations directly.
Michael Carrick chose an unusual way to begin his pregame media duties before Manchester United’s meeting with Bournemouth, opening the press conference with a six-minute statement before taking any questions.
The backdrop is not ideal. United arrive on a seven-game winless run, a sharp contrast to the finish they managed last season, when they produced the best record in the Premier League over the final 17 rounds, better even than champions Arsenal.
Carrick used the moment to address both the team’s recent decline and the expectations that come with the club. His message was aimed squarely at the supporters, especially those who travelled to Italy during the week, and he returned repeatedly to the themes of humility, hard work and collective responsibility.
“I’ll start today,” Carrick immediately told gathered reporters on Friday, rather than waiting for an opening question. Not reading from a script, he took a moment to compose his thoughts and then spoke without interruption for almost six minutes.
“Recently, we haven’t had a good time, I think that’s pretty obvious, so I totally accept that, what we’re going through at the moment,” he said.
He also reflected on United’s recent performances and the disappointment felt by those who follow the team.
“Wednesday was a bad night, it was a bad night for a lot of reasons. It was a bad night and that hurt a lot. It obviously hurt me to see us play like that, to see how the game panned out.
“It was, as I said after the game, it was really unacceptable for us to play like that and to be like that. The supporters are a huge part of this football club for me, the supporters have to make the effort and spend the time and the money to come and support us on Wednesday. And to have the feeling that we all felt after the game was a tough moment. I think that’s pretty obvious.
Carrick stressed that the club’s identity must remain central, saying United must be bigger than any individual and rooted in resilience, humility and hard work. He also referenced figures such as Ryan Giggs, Wayne Rooney, Sir Alex Ferguson, Sir Matt [Busby] and Sir Bobby [Charlton] while underlining that he will not allow those standards to fade.
For Carrick, the task is clear: restore the connection, intensity and pride that marked the earlier part of the year, and make sure United again reflect what this club is supposed to stand for.
Manchester United
Lammens says United are united despite poor run under Carrick
Lammens says United remain united behind Carrick despite seven winless games and mixed form.
Senne Lammens has insisted Manchester United remain aligned behind Michael Carrick, even as results continue to fall short of expectations. The club go into Sunday’s meeting with Bournemouth at Old Trafford still looking for a first win in seven matches, and the pressure around the squad has grown accordingly.
Carrick’s press conference on Friday stood out for its length and honesty, with the manager speaking for almost six minutes before taking the first question. That candid assessment drew widespread praise, and Lammens echoed the sense that the dressing room knows exactly what is required.
The goalkeeper said it is normal for players to react strongly after a bad result, but that those emotions do not always translate well outside the dressing room. “We all really want to do better and we all want to win and then we might say sometimes things we don’t really mean or fully explain what we mean,” he told Sky Sports.
He added that the public cannot always see the response behind the scenes. “People at home can’t see that, so we need to try to look like that on the pitch, but I can assure you we’re doing everything we can and we’re all together behind the coach, as a staff, players, front office.
“Everyone knows they have to do better, but I think we are united, trying to get better as a team.”
Lammens also pointed to the contrast with last season, when United were top of the Premier League under Carrick’s interim spell and gathered more points over 17 games than any other side, including champions Arsenal. With much of the squad still unchanged, he suggested the situation feels hard to explain.
He believes the team may even have played better at times last season, despite better outcomes then, and linked part of the shift to a change in style. United have moved from a more counter-attacking approach to one based more on possession and buildup, and Lammens admitted the side still has work to do when pressed.
“We didn’t concede that many goals, and then I think as a counter team a bit more last season we did really well. [But] everybody knew we had to improve, that teams were going to change the way they played against us.
“That’s why we had to evolve this season and in preseason, we tried to do some different things to get us in the best position to win games.”
For Lammens, the wider challenge is to recover the collective edge that defined United last season. “fighting as a team and defending as a team” is something he wants the side to “get back to.”
Borussia Dortmund
Sancho Faces Major Pay Cut As Getafe Table Short-Term Deal
Sancho’s latest offer from Getafe is far below his old United salary, with La Liga interest still alive.
Jadon Sancho’s next move has brought a stark reminder of how far his career has drifted from the heights once expected of him. The former Manchester United winger has been offered a contract by Getafe that is worth only 4% of his previous salary, according to a report.
Sancho, 26, struggled badly in the Premier League and failed to make a strong impression during loan spells with Chelsea and Aston Villa. After that, Manchester United decided not to activate an extension clause in his contract, allowing him to leave as a free agent.
Getafe approached him earlier this month, and The Telegraph reports that the financial terms are on a completely different level to anything he was used to in England. The Spanish club’s proposal is a yearly salary of €400,000 ($448,000), a figure that is less than he would have earned in two weeks under his previous United deal. The contract would run until the end of the current season.
Sancho has not dismissed the possibility of accepting the offer and is understood to be keen on a move to La Liga. He is expected to speak with club management in the coming days to formally review the proposal.
For a player who has been in the spotlight for nearly a decade, the contrast is dramatic. His move from Manchester City’s academy to Borussia Dortmund in the summer of 2017 generated major attention, and he quickly justified the interest with his performances. In 2018-19, he was involved in 30 goals in the Bundesliga, then improved that return to 34 the following year, prompting Europe’s top clubs to circle.
United’s success in that transfer battle was widely applauded at the time, with Sancho viewed as a possible transformative signing. But the expectations, amplified by the size of the deal, have followed him ever since.
In the last five years, however, little has gone to plan on the pitch. The scrutiny around every step has remained intense, and the latest offer reflects just how sharply the picture has changed.
