Carrick now confirms £42.7m Man Utd star is ruled out of Arsenal game
Manchester United manager Michael Carrick has provided some team news ahead of the Premier League clash against Arsenal at the Emirates Stadium on Sunday.
The Red Devils registered a stunning 2-0 win over arch-rivals Manchester City at Old Trafford last weekend. As a result, they have moved within one point of fourth-placed Liverpool in the league table.
United registered a statement victory over the Cityzens, and they have the opportunity to replicate the feat when they take on the Gunners in north London this weekend.
In his pre-match presser, Carrick revealed that Matthijs de Ligt won’t play any part against Arsenal, having yet to recover from a back problem sustained back in November last year.
The Dutchman was initially touted for an early return by former boss Ruben Amorim. Carrick has now revealed that his recovery has been slower than predicted after a small setback.
The £42.7 million signing is getting closer and could be involved in a couple of weeks, Carrick told reporters: “He had a bit of a setback. Well, not really a setback, before I arrived.
“[It was] only small, but he was a little bit slower than we would have liked. He is getting closer, and hopefully, in the next couple of weeks, he will be back and around it.”
Alongside De Ligt, Joshua Zirkzee was also absent from training earlier this week. Carrick did not provide an injury update on him. It remains to be seen whether he is available on Sunday.
United go into the game as underdogs, and that should suit them. The pressure will be on Arsenal, who must beat the Red Devils to preserve their seven-point lead at the top of the table.
The Red Devils were victorious against Arsenal in the FA Cup third round tie at the Emirates last term (on penalties), but they have not beaten them in a league match since December 2017.
United beat Liverpool at Anfield for the first time since 2016 earlier this campaign. They will aim to end their winless league run at the Emirates to boost their Champions League hopes.
Stats from Transfermarkt.com
Article written by Sri Aswin .