Carlos Baleba Set for United Debut After International Break, Carrick Says

Carlos Baleba is scheduled to make his Manchester United debut following the international break, according to head coach Michael Carrick. The midfielder joined the club this summer from Brighton & Hove Albion in a £70million transfer.

Baleba’s return timeline

Baleba has yet to appear for United due to an ankle injury sustained during pre-season while still at Brighton. Carrick addressed the situation during a press briefing ahead of United’s Carabao Cup third-round fixture against Brighton on Wednesday.

When asked whether Baleba would be available next month, Carrick replied: “Yeah, he definitely will be. He’ll be back in and around the group at some point over the next week or so. So that means, after the internationals, he should be in good shape.”

He added: “You know he’s came and, with being injured, then he’s desperate to get out there and be part of the group and training fully with the boys.”

Carrick reiterated Baleba’s importance to the squad: “I’ve said before, he’s obviously a quality player. It’s why we brought him here and he balances off the dynamics of the midfield particularly well.”

Fitness updates on Shaw, Amad, and De Ligt

Carrick provided updates on three other players’ availability. Luke Shaw missed United’s recent matches against Sabah FK and Manchester City. Regarding Shaw, Carrick said: “He could possibly be fit for Brighton, but it’s not clear-cut. But it’s a matter of a few days rather than anything else.”

Patrick Dorgu deputised for Shaw against Manchester City. Carrick assessed his performance: “Pat played fantastically well the other night, and I thought he did a lot of good things [on Sunday], to be honest. That’s why we’ve got the squad, to fill in different things. Injuries aren’t ideal, but we’ve got to deal with them.”

Amad has not featured this season. Carrick noted: “Amad, not quite close in terms of days, but we’ll see as the week progresses.”

On Matthijs de Ligt, Carrick stated: “Matta’s just working his way back, really, so because of the time frame and how it’s been, I don’t really want to put too much time frame on it.”

Motivation from the Manchester City defeat

Carrick indicated the team will channel the disappointment of its recent derby loss to Manchester City into motivation for the upcoming match against Brighton.

“It does give you something to use moving forward when something like that happens,” he said.

He observed: “The players have got an edge. I think they’ve shown that to me since I’ve been here. We’ve had setbacks, and they’ve bounced back particularly well and had some really good performances and good results.”

Carrick acknowledged the team’s current position: “I understand it’s a new season, and the points tally right now is not what we want it to be – I’m not hiding from that. It’s getting that winning feeling, getting the habit. It’s easier said than done, of course, but we’re capable of it.”

He confirmed squad rotation remains under consideration: “Obviously, there are decisions that we have to make. It’s important for us to win football matches, and it’s important that we manage the squad as well and keep everyone up to speed; keep everyone ready and part of it. But we’re certainly going into Wednesday trying to win the game.”

United’s Carabao Cup tie with Brighton kicks off at 8pm.