Manchester United's Forwards Prepare for Derby Showdown

Manchester United cruised through Europe. Now comes the real test.

A 4-0 dismantling of Sabah in their Champions League opener has briefly cleared the air around Old Trafford, but the mood will turn quickly if Manchester City take control of Sunday’s derby. Michael Carrick knows it. So do his attacking players, who have spent the week loudly auditioning for minutes.

The last time these two met, Carrick had just stepped back into the dugout. United beat City 2-0, a result that felt like a line in the sand and the start of a new spell. This time, it’s the other technical area that tells the story.

Enzo Maresca will experience his first Manchester derby as City boss. His last visit to Old Trafford ended in defeat, a 2-1 reverse with Chelsea in September 2025, but he arrives on the back of a hard-earned European win over Porto and with a squad that has settled faster than United’s.

United, by contrast, limp into the fixture with only one win from their opening three league matches. Even a victory on Sunday would not be enough to haul them above City in the table.

“Results-wise, it hasn't been the start we wanted, we wanted more points in the league,” Carrick admitted after the Sabah win. The performance in Europe brought goals and confidence, but it did not erase the reality of the domestic start.

Rashford’s Barcelona chapter and the Gordon call

Marcus Rashford’s name still carries weight around Old Trafford, but his summer in Spain left a few questions hanging in the air.

The forward hit double figures for both goals and assists at Barcelona last season, a productive loan spell that seemed, from a distance, to make a permanent move almost inevitable. Barcelona saw it differently.

Instead of triggering a deal for Rashford, the Catalan club pivoted towards his England team-mate Anthony Gordon. Sporting director Deco has now laid out why.

“One of the things we saw that was difficult last year was the fact that, when we were without Raphinha, the team's energy seemed to drop,” Deco told Marca. The diagnosis was clear: Barcelona wanted more relentless running and pressing from wide areas.

“We looked at many wingers, but signing players in the Premier League is almost impossible, you see the figures involved,” he said. That financial reality framed the search, but the technical profile still drove the final decision.

“He (Gordon) was the profile that best fit. The great advantage is that the players are excited to come to our project.”

The subtext is hard to miss. Barcelona valued Gordon’s intensity and off-the-ball work, choosing him over Rashford despite the latter’s output. For United, that leaves a player back in Manchester with something to prove again, just as a derby looms and his starting place is no guarantee.

Gabriel’s rise and the long game

While Rashford wrestles with his next step, another forward is quietly climbing towards the first team.

JJ Gabriel lit up pre-season with glimpses of his talent but is still waiting for his competitive debut. His latest statement came in the UEFA Youth League, where he hit a hat-trick against Sabah and underlined why there is so much noise around his name inside the club.

Academy coach Adam Lawrence has seen the hype build and insists the teenager is being handled with care.

“JJ is surrounded by people that really believe in him,” Lawrence said. “From the top of the club right the way through. Where he's been at the club for so long, he's got good relationships with the players, with the staff.”

That familiarity matters. Gabriel is not a short-term project parachuted in; he is a long-term investment being carefully layered into the system.

“Over the course of time that helps as well,” Lawrence added. “At the moment just in terms of his game, his games programme, his training programme, making sure that he's getting the right exposure across different levels.

“We’re obviously not perfect but it's definitely something we put a lot of thought into. So yeah, it's good to see him just enjoying his football and in a good place for sure.”

Enjoyment is one thing. Opportunity is another. Gabriel’s hat-trick and his growing presence around the senior squad give Carrick an intriguing option, even if Sunday comes too soon for a major role.

Big decisions before City

Carrick’s attacking puzzle is suddenly crowded. Rashford’s future, Gabriel’s emergence, the confidence from a four-goal European win – all of it feeds into the derby narrative.

United need points. City bring form, structure and a manager eager to erase memories of his last Old Trafford defeat. Somewhere between those storylines, Carrick must decide who carries his attack into the biggest league game of their season so far.