📅 October 20, 2026
Carrick Before Como: “I Don’t Need Any Reassurance”, Martínez Out, and Our Predicted XI
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Michael Carrick goes into Wednesday’s Champions League game at Como with Harry Maguire and Matthijs de Ligt as his only fit senior centre-backs. Lisandro Martínez hasn’t travelled, Ayden Heaven is ill and Leny Yoro is suspended. Asked about his own position in Como on Tuesday, Carrick said: “I don’t need any reassurance.”
Kick-off at the Stadio Giuseppe Sinigaglia is 5:45pm UK, 12:45pm Eastern. Our predicted line-up is at the bottom.
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“Not too bad, but he’s not with us”
Carrick called the injury list “a bit of a mixed bag”. On Martínez, who came off at half-time at Leeds with a thigh problem, he said the defender is “not too bad, but he is not with us”. Whether he’s fit for Bournemouth at Old Trafford on Sunday is open: “We will have to see if he’s ready for the weekend or not.”
The rest of it came in one breath. Kobbie Mainoo is “another 10 days or so”, and Luke Shaw “a little bit longer than that”. Then: “Ayden is ill.” Marcus Rashford, who missed Tuesday morning’s training, is still feeling a hip problem. Benjamin Sesko, Patrick Dorgu and Manuel Ugarte remain out, and Yoro serves his ban for the red card in Madrid.
That puts real numbers on two absences that had been open-ended since the Spurs game. Ten days from Tuesday rules Mainoo out of Bournemouth and leaves Chelsea away on 31 October borderline, though Carrick said the timing isn’t exact. Shaw is further back.
“I don’t need any reassurance”
The questions about his future came, and Carrick didn’t dodge them. “I know the role, I know my responsibilities,” he said. “I know we’ve got to win football games for everything to flow and everything to fit into place.”
Asked whether he feels backed by the club, his answer was short: “Why wouldn’t I?” He described his relationship with everyone at the club as really good, and said there are no issues on that side. He said he doesn’t need anyone to tell him when it’s going well or when it needs to be better.
Sports Mole’s report of the press conference has him putting the run down to fine lines that went United’s way last season and haven’t this time: “I don’t think there’s a major, major problem at all.” Six games without a win is the context for all of it. Gary Neville’s line on Monday was that fifth place is the bar.
Our predicted line-up
This is our guess, not a leak. Two changes are forced from the side that drew at Leeds: Martínez and Yoro are both missing from the back four.
Predicted XI (4-2-3-1): Lammens; Mazraoui, Maguire, de Ligt, Dalot; Baleba, Santos; Amad, Tielemans, Fernandes; Mbeumo.
De Ligt for Martínez. With Heaven ill, he’s the only senior option left. He hasn’t played since 30 November last year and was an unused substitute at Atlético and Leeds. If Carrick doesn’t trust him for 90 minutes, the alternative is moving Mazraoui inside and starting Harry Amass at full-back.
Mazraoui for Yoro. He came on for Martínez at half-time on Sunday and cleared Stach’s late shot off the line. Dalot stays on the left, where he played at Elland Road.
The rest unchanged. Baleba and Santos kept the midfield together at Leeds, and Tielemans set up Mbeumo’s header and his goal from the number 10 role. Matheus Cunha, Mason Mount and Joshua Zirkzee are the changes we’d expect from the bench. If Carrick wants fresh legs after Sunday, Cunha for Amad is the likeliest swap.
Como: Cesc Fàbregas’s side are level with United on three points after beating RB Leipzig 4-1 and losing 3-2 at Feyenoord. Our Champions League table has the full standings.
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Sources: Carrick’s press conference in Como on 20 October 2026, quoted via PA in the Irish Examiner, AFP via France 24, Sports Mole, Man Utd News and United in Focus. Quotes are given where at least two outlets carry the same words; where their wording differs, we’ve paraphrased. The “major, major problem” line is from Sports Mole only and is credited to them. Maguire and de Ligt as the only fit senior centre-backs, and de Ligt’s last appearance on 30 November 2025, from United in Focus and Roundtable Sports. Kick-off from Read Man Utd and the club fixture list. Como’s results from our Champions League table (ESPN, FOX Sports, FotMob and Sky). Leeds details from our match reports (Premier League data, ESPN, NBC). The predicted line-up is our own judgement, not a reported team. Accurate as of 20 October 2026.