Manchester United travel to Chelsea in the early kick-off this afternoon, with the encounter potentially make-or-break for Michael Carrick and his managerial job.
Rumours around the 45-year-old’s future have been swirling around Old Trafford over the past week, but it appears he’s been handed one final chance to rectify his struggles.
The meeting at Stamford Bridge will no doubt be a tricky one for the Red Devils, but they may have to do it without a handful of the senior members of the squad.
Man Utd’s team news to face Chelsea
After last weekend’s 3-0 hammering to Bournemouth at Old Trafford, Carrick will be hoping for a response from his senior players against Chelsea.
Bruno Fernandes was left as an unused substitute during the aforementioned meeting, after his outburst in the media after the Champions League defeat to Como.
The Portuguese international could be recalled to the starting eleven at Stamford Bridge following face-to-face talks to clear the air with the manager earlier in the week.
However, he will be without striker Benjamin Sesko this afternoon, after it was confirmed that the Slovenian’s ongoing injury issue was worse than expected.
During his press conference on Thursday, Carrick stated: “Yeah, unfortunately Ben looks like he’s going to be out for a period of time. We’re still not clear of exactly how long, but it’s going to be for a longer period of time.
“It was the process, as I said to you before, we had to go through the process, a bit of a healing process for the injury to see how it would react and what direction to go with that. Even now we’re still working through it.”
Why Carrick could have an attacking issue against Chelsea
Sesko’s absence over recent weeks has been an ongoing issue for Carrick to contend with, as seen by their inability to find the back of the net against Bournemouth.
Bryan Mbeumo has been tasked with filling the centre-forward void, but has struggled to provide a focal point – which has even seen his goals dry up in recent weeks.
The Cameroonian has only scored twice in the last five games across all competitions, which could see a change in options being considered within the final third.
Amad Diallo, Shea Lacey and Joshua Zirkzee are three other options who have travelled to the capital for the encounter against Xabi Alonso’s men this afternoon.
|
Man Utd PL top scorers (2026/27) |
||
|---|---|---|
|
Rank |
Player |
PL goals |
|
1 |
Bryan Mbeumo |
4 |
|
2 |
Bruno Fernandes |
3 |
|
3= |
Benjamin Šeško |
1 |
|
3= |
Matheus Cunha |
1 |
However, none of the aforementioned trio have been able to register a league goal this campaign, further highlighting the lack of form currently within the senior ranks.
Why Carrick must unleash the new Rooney against Chelsea
Scoring goals never used to be an issue for United, especially when Wayne Rooney was available to the likes of Sir Alex Ferguson and David Moyes at Old Trafford.
The Englishman netted 253 goals in his 559 appearances across all competitions and put himself in the record books forever as the Red Devils’ all-time leading scorer.
His versatility in being able to feature in a number ten or centre-forward position made him a greater asset to the senior ranks and allowed him to reach the feats he achieved at Old Trafford.
However, the current manager could well have his own version of such a talent in the form of Matheus Cunha, who could well fill the void left by Sesko at present.
The Brazilian, who has largely operated in a deeper role since his move from Wolves last summer, does have experience of playing centrally as a striker in the Premier League.
During his time at Molineux, he was their main talisman – as seen by his record of 15 goals in his 33 league outings and resulting in his big-money move to Old Trafford.
Such versatility could see him emulate Rooney against Chelsea, with Carrick needing to utilise the 27-year-old in a more advanced role to help claim victory.
He’s achieved a 32% shot-on-target accuracy rate during the opening months of the new season, with such a record the highest of any player within the senior ranks.
Cunha has also achieved an average of 5.7 touches in the opposition box per 90 this campaign, a figure which places him above 82% of other attackers in England’s top-flight.
The combination of the two figures showcases his ability to star within the final third, with his clinical finishing allowing him to provide a similar output to that of Rooney.
United’s recent winless run has proven to pile the pressure on Carrick in recent weeks, but that could easily be lifted by handing Cunha a chance to start in the number nine position.
His talent has been evident throughout his time at Old Trafford, but his performances could move up a notch if the manager makes a subtle tweak to his starting eleven today.
