Carrick demands Champions League progress as United end two-year absence against Sabah FK

Manchester United return to the Champions League on Thursday when they host Sabah FK, ending an absence from European football that stretches back to their group-stage elimination in December 2023 — a campaign in which they finished bottom of a group containing FC Copenhagen and Galatasaray, conceding 15 goals.

Manager Michael Carrick used his pre-match media briefing to set expectations for the season ahead, insisting United have the quality to go deep in the competition. “We certainly can achieve it, we’re capable of achieving it,” he said. “It’s up to us to then take the step of doing that.”

The scale of the challenge is illustrated by Bruno Fernandes’ record in the competition. In six-and-a-half years at Old Trafford, the captain has featured in just one knockout tie — a last-16 defeat to Atlético Madrid in 2021/22. United have reached only two quarter-finals since their last final appearance in 2011, a game in which Carrick himself played.

Carrick acknowledged the gap between where the club has been and where it wants to go. “I think we’ve got to be humble enough and realistic enough to know where we’re coming from and where we want to get to,” he said. “We want to be there as quickly as possible, as everybody does, but again, it’s understanding the steps that need to be put in place.”

The stakes extend beyond the pitch. Fernandes is currently among 30 players nominated for the Ballon d’Or, and contract negotiations with the Portuguese midfielder are ongoing. Carrick’s message was clear: United must demonstrate they can compete at the highest level if they are to retain their best players.

“We’re capable of some really, really good things, and especially on our day, we feel that we can go up against anybody and come out on top,” Carrick added. “It’s up to us to bring that over a consistent period and consistency through games. In the end, that gets you the results and hopefully puts us in those stages.”

United’s return to European football comes off the back of a third-place Premier League finish last season, a revival largely credited to Carrick’s influence, which secured their place back in the continent’s premier club competition.