Michael Carrick is forced to count down days to the next game as he watches the FA Cup games from the sidelines, but there’s a silver lining to it.
It goes without saying that playing 40 games this season isn’t the standard any Manchester United team should strive for.
That’s the situation the current team finds itself in, through no fault of Michael Carrick, but he can at least enjoy a silver lining as a result.
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Michael Carrick took 13 points from his first five…
That’s because he has just received a vital squad boost due to the 12-day break afforded by the club’s FA Cup exit.
FA Cup exit silver lining as Man Utd get Harry Maguire boost
Man Utd fans held their collective breath when Harry Maguire asked to come off during the game against West Ham United.
Leny Yoro came on for him and put in a sensational cameo, but Maguire’s importance to the team is more than just his defensive contribution.
As such, there was a lot of trepidation since hamstring injuries are often a pain to deal with, but Carrick will be thankful that United’s FA Cup exit meant they didn’t play again for 12 days.
While many teams prepared for FA Cup action, United returned to training on Saturday, and they were boosted by the presence of Maguire on the grass.
Had United been in the FA Cup, they would have likely missed Maguire, but he has ample recovery and fitness time to get up to speed now.
Elimination from neither cup was Carrick’s fault, but that has ensured that his own goal this season – UCL qualification – gets easier as a result of the lighter fixture list.
Michael Carrick will hope for Mason Mount’s return as well
The 12-day break will do wonders for Mason Mount as well, who hasn’t played in the last two games after picking up a knock in training.
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Fans’ patience with Mount is already wearing thin, and missing an FA Cup fixture when Carrick would have liked to rotate wouldn’t have gone down well.
He enjoys the silver lining as well since Carrick said he’s close to returning.
That means he should be fit for the Everton game, at least fit enough to come off the bench, which is his ideal role anyway.
Even for those who were already fit, it gives them a chance to reset and recover, as signs of fatigue were clearly visible at the London Stadium against the Hammers.
There’s no doubt that United would have liked to be in the FA Cup, but it breaks like these give them an upper hand in the race to qualify for the Champions League, that’s a trade they’d make ten times out of ten.
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