After 1,000 Days, Carrick Leads Manchester United Back to the Champions League: We Are Not Here to Enjoy It

Manchester United are back. Tonight Beijing time, Manchester United, coached by Michael Carrick, host Azerbaijani champions Sabah in the opening round of the Champions League. This is the team's first return to the Champions League since 2023, more than 1,000 days later.

Carrick: We Are Not Here to Enjoy It

Before the match, Carrick spoke about the team's goals in the Champions League. His remarks are quoted below:

"I think we can do some really good things in this competition and go further in this competition, and then who knows what happens when we get to that stage. I wouldn't rule anything out."

"We're delighted to be here, but we're not here to enjoy the occasion. We're here to do a job and go as far as we possibly can."

"We want to keep pushing, the expectations are high. We want those expectations, we want the hope and belief that we can achieve things quickly. This is the ultimate challenge. We've done a lot of great work in a short space of time to get here, and that's down to the players."

Slow League Start, With a Derby Before the Champions League

Manchester United have made a somewhat slow start to the Premier League, taking just four points from their first three matches. Carrick's management last season brought changes, and he now wants to build on that foundation. With the Manchester derby also coming on Sunday, the schedule is congested, and with the new midfielders still settling in, the United manager may rotate the squad for this match.

Who Are Sabah?

Sabah are the Azerbaijani champions, and this is their Champions League debut after progressing through four qualifying rounds. The club was founded less than ten years ago and has risen quickly. They hope to cause one or two upsets in this landmark season.

Will Luke Shaw Be Available?

There is a question mark over Manchester United's left-back position tonight, with Luke Shaw potentially unavailable. He missed Wednesday's training session. He made every Premier League appearance last season, but United's more demanding schedule has led to questions over whether the veteran can play every match.

Carrick explained at the pre-match press conference: "We just gave him an extra recovery day. We'll see how he is, but it's not an ongoing issue or anything planned like that. It's just the plan following the last game against Everton. Every player has different circumstances that need managing, and Luke is one of them."