Carrick makes bold promise to one Man Utd star, he is poised to start vs Arsenal

Manchester United head coach Michael Carrick announced his arrival in emphatic fashion by masterminding a statement victory over Manchester City on Saturday.

His next assignment is at the Emirates Stadium against Arsenal.

According to the Daily Mail, one of the first things Carrick did when he took over as head coach was to take Kobbie Mainoo aside and reassure the young midfielder that he was central to his plans for the rest of the season.

That show of trust has been warmly received by the 20-year-old, who is said to be energised by the belief placed in him.

Mainoo was desperate to move to a new club on loan for the remainder of the 2025-26 season but he is now ready to stay at Man United.

Carrick backed up his words with action by handing Mainoo his first league start of the season in the 2-0 derby win over City.

The academy graduate seized his opportunity, delivering a mature and commanding performance that earned glowing praise from club legend Rio Ferdinand.

That display came after a difficult period under former manager Ruben Amorim, during which Mainoo endured a strained working relationship and a notable lack of trust.

Despite still being a developing talent, it remains surprising that Amorim failed to start Mainoo in a single league game during this season.

Mainoo is not a conventional defensive midfielder who thrives solely on tackles and screening the back line. Nor is he a pure attacking midfielder focused on threading killer passes in the final third.

Mainoo is a natural controller of games, a rare and valuable quality that this United midfield has sorely lacked.

While he still has room to develop physically, it is already evident that he has added muscle and strength over the past two years.

Against City, Mainoo injected calmness and composure into United’s midfield, helping to dictate the rhythm of the contest.

His crisp, intelligent passing drew City players out of position before he switched play with well-timed long balls to ignite attacks.

Every young midfielder needs a coach who understands his strengths while pushing him to address his weaknesses.

If there is one person perfectly placed to teach Mainoo the art of midfield control, it may well be his new manager, Michael Carrick.

There is no doubt that Mainoo will start against Arsenal and will aim to replicate his display from the City win.

Stats from Transfermarkt.com

Article written by Sanidhya Bhardwaj .