Carrick admits fixture schedule is 'not ideal' as City get 48 extra hours before Manchester derby

Michael Carrick conceded the fixture schedule had done Manchester United few favours ahead of Sunday’s Premier League derby at Old Trafford, with Manchester City benefiting from roughly 48 additional hours of preparation time.

Enzo Maresca’s side wrapped up their Champions League opener — a 2-0 win over Porto in Portugal — on Tuesday night, while United do not begin their own European campaign until Thursday, when Azerbaijani champions Sabah FK visit Old Trafford. That sequence leaves City with a longer run-up to the 4.30pm kick-off, even accounting for the travel back from Portugal.

“I’m not concerned,” Carrick said at his pre-match press conference. “I wouldn’t say it’s ideal in some ways, but it’s not something that we’ve given too much thought about. We’re not in control of that. We’ve got to deal with the cards that we’re dealt and that’s what it is, so we’ll make the most of it.”

The United head coach was careful not to lean too heavily on the scheduling quirk, framing it as a minor inconvenience rather than a significant disadvantage — though his choice of words made clear it had not gone unnoticed inside the camp.

Before the derby dominates the agenda, Carrick’s immediate focus is on getting United’s Champions League return off to a winning start against Sabah FK on Thursday. He was measured but respectful in his assessment of the visitors, warning his players not to underestimate a side that has been in strong form.

“I think they’re a very well-coached team,” he said. “You can see that quite clearly — their ideas, the principles that they have that are repeatable, and they have some really good things. They’ve obviously won a lot of football matches over the last 12 months or so, and so they’re playing with a lot of confidence.”

Carrick also highlighted Sabah’s pressing game and their ability to build through the pitch as areas United will need to handle carefully. “They have some really good connections and press well as a team,” he added. “So we obviously are fully aware of what we’re up against and the challenge that we face.”

With a Champions League group stage debut and a Manchester derby arriving within the space of three days, the opening week of October represents one of the more demanding stretches of United’s early season.