Manchester United vs Ipswich Town: Carrick's Call for Improvement

Manchester United walk into their second Premier League game of the season with a bruise to their pride and a point to prove. Newly-promoted Ipswich Town arrive at Old Trafford on Sunday, but it was United who looked like the team fresh out of the Championship on the opening day.

Hull City, themselves up via the playoffs, outworked and outplayed Michael Carrick’s side in a 2-0 defeat that set alarm bells ringing far earlier than anyone at the club would have liked. Carrick cannot afford a repeat. Not in performance, and certainly not in attitude.

Baleba in, but not quite ready

Since that flat opening-day loss, United have moved to address one of the most obvious issues in their squad. Carlos Baleba has arrived from Brighton and Hove Albion, the most natural defensive midfielder on the books and a player signed to bring some order to the chaos in front of the back four.

But the new signing is unlikely to be thrown straight into the fray.

Baleba picked up an ankle ligament injury during Brighton’s pre-season and is still working his way back. The expectation is that he will be fully fit before the end of September, with individual training the next step in his programme. A realistic target for his competitive return is the home clash with Tottenham Hotspur on Saturday, 10 October, rather than this weekend’s meeting with Ipswich.

So Carrick may have his long-term anchor in place, but he will probably have to face Ipswich with the same midfield structure that struggled so badly against Hull.

Amad blow adds to attacking frustration

United’s options in the final third have taken a hit.

Amad, who featured in the final pre-season outing against AC Milan, missed the Hull game after picking up an injury in training. The problem is serious enough to keep him out for an extended spell. He is expected to be sidelined for up to six weeks.

That timeline also points towards a potential return against Tottenham on 10 October, leaving Carrick without one of his more inventive attacking options as he looks to inject tempo and unpredictability into United’s forward play.

Mount edging back

There is better news with Mason Mount.

The midfielder was forced off before the 20-minute mark in a pre-season clash with Paris Saint-Germain after a knock to the foot. He left the stadium that night without a limp, but the issue was enough to keep him out of subsequent games against Leeds United, AC Milan and Hull City.

United considered him “touch and go” for the Hull fixture. Now, Sam Cohen reports that Mount has trained with the first-team squad in the build-up to Ipswich’s visit. That puts him in contention for Sunday, 30 August, and offers Carrick a badly needed option between the lines.

If Mount is passed fit, he instantly changes the complexion of United’s attacking midfield, giving them a connector they sorely lacked on the opening day.

De Ligt’s long road back

At the back, the wait goes on.

Matthijs de Ligt has not played since suffering a back injury in November 2025. At the time, Rúben Amorim suggested the Dutch defender might be out for only a week. The reality has been far more punishing.

De Ligt has now been seen back in training with the first-team group, but these are believed to be only the early stages of his rehabilitation. Back injuries demand patience, and United will not risk rushing him. A realistic target is late October, which leaves Carrick leaning on his existing defensive options for the foreseeable future.

Same squad, different standard required

Strip it all back and the picture is clear. The group available for Ipswich Town is likely to look very similar to the one that faltered against Hull City.

That is where Carrick’s challenge lies.

He cannot rely on a wave of returning stars to transform United’s level overnight. Baleba is still working back, Amad is out, De Ligt is weeks away. Mount may return, but even that would be one change, not an overhaul.

So the demand is simple and stark: same squad, very different performance.

Ipswich, fresh from promotion and with nothing to lose, will sense vulnerability. Old Trafford will expect a reaction.

The question now is whether this United side can deliver one, or whether a troubled start to the season is about to harden into something more serious.