Michael Carrick will look to extend his unbeaten start as interim Manchester United manager to eight games.
Life is good for the Red Devils, who have won 19 of 21 available points since Michael Carrick took over. Although strategies and planning would change if he becomes permanent manager next season, he is pushing all the right buttons in order to be the favourite for the job.
Man Utd predicted XI vs Newcastle
Man Utd (4-2-3-1): Lammens; Dalot, Yoro, Maguire, Mazraoui; Casemiro, Mainoo; Mbeumo, Fernandes, Cunha; Sesko.
Up next are Newcastle United away. The Magpies have maintained their recent Premier League struggles, losing each of their last two to Manchester City and Everton. Bruno Guimaraes being out injured certainly doesn’t help Eddie Howe.
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Man Utd team news vs Newcastle
With just the Premier League left to play until the end of the season, schedule is rather light for Man Utd. Michael Carrick can take advantage of that to establish his preferred starting XI and only make slight adjustments from game to game.
Harry Maguire and Luke Shaw both left the Crystal Palace game due to an illness. But the expectation is that both could fully recover and be available for selection at St James’ Park. Shaw also dealt with a minor knock on his foot, which could make Carrick go with Noussair Mazraoui instead.
Lisandro Martinez, Patrick Dorgu and Matthijs de Ligt remain out for the time being. Mason Mount will push to come back — he last played in mid January — but is still a doubt.
In-form Sesko for the win again?
Benjamin Sesko looks a player reborn following Ruben Amorim’s departure. He immediately scored a brace against Burnley in Darren Fletcher’s first game in charge and followed it up with another goal against Brighton and Hove Albion in the FA Cup.
Under Carrick, it’s now four goals in six games — and one in each of his last three. It’s his best goalscoring run in over a year, when he also found the net in three straight matches for RB Leipzig in January 2025.
He has gone from starter to substitute a few times in this run but seems to maintain the level of his performances regardless. And of those four goals, three of them gave the Red Devils the win.
The exception was an injury-time equaliser at West Ham United, meaning all four of his goals have been extremely decisive.
As he finds his feet as the main striker, he will look to keep his goalscoring form going as Man Utd look to cement their place in the top four.