It’s fair to say that bouncing back from a harrowing afternoon at the MKM Stadium wasn’t part of the pre-season plans at Old Trafford.
But as with everything in life, unexpected obstacles are often par for the course.
Thankfully, despite gathering a league-leading record since January, Michael Carrick is no stranger to adversity and remains confident in his Manchester United squad’s capabilities.
Sunday will see another newly-promoted outfit test his side’s mettle, with Ipswich aiming to build on the three points they have already collected against Sunderland.
Although the memories of an atrocious 2-0 defeat against Hull have tainted public perception, a win would do a lot to ease the burden of concern amongst the United faithful.
And although plenty have already opted to dismiss Bruno Fernandes and his team, confidence and morale remain unaffected at Carrington ahead of another Premier League weekend.
Contrary to social opinion, Carrick remains committed to his internal beliefs, and the group is approaching this latest fixture with meticulous intentions.
There is no delusion at M16 about the necessity to uphold expectations, and every first-team member is eager to atone for an indifferent performance.
Amad missed out with injury at Hull and is not yet fit to return to first-team duties. But Mason Mount has rejoined his teammates in individual sessions and is looking likely to feature.
“Amad won’t be involved this week. He’ll be out a little bit longer,” Carrick told the media on Friday. “Mason’s back around the group; he trained this week. That’s a real positive.”
Carlos Baleba completed his dream move to Manchester on Tuesday following a deal that was more than 12 months in the making.
The 22-year-old is eager to make his first appearance in red but must contend with the final stages of rehabilitation after enduring an ankle ligament issue during pre-season with Brighton.
“He’s got a little ankle issue,” Carrick stated about Baleba’s availability. “Maybe a couple of weeks or so, maybe three weeks, we’ll see.
“But we knew that before, so it’s no major issue. But, yeah, it’ll be great to have him back when we can.”
United and Ipswich possess a sporadic Premier League story, with the Tractor Boys enduring various periods of relegation and internal turmoil while Sir Alex Ferguson created domestic history.
The sides have met 12 times since 1992, and the visitors are yet to claim three points at Old Trafford, last doing so in the old Division One in 1984.
Interestingly, Harry Maguire proved the difference in the most recent affair, notching the third goal in a 3-2 victory against Kieran McKenna’s men during the 2024-25 season.
Few would bet against the defender again playing a significant role against Gary O’Neil and his troops at the weekend.
Craig Pawson will officiate proceedings on Sunday for a 16:30 BST kick-off at the home of the 20-time English champions.
How are you feeling ahead of our latest test against Ipswich? Let us know in the comments or across our social channels.
Photo by operations@newsimages.co.uk via depositphotos.com.
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