Michael Carrick has yet to give Shea Lacey minutes in the first team since becoming Manchester United’s interim head coach.
With a lack of cup competitions and no European football, Michael Carrick hasn’t been able to rotate his Manchester United team as much as he would’ve liked.
That means there are players in the squad bound to be upset with the lack of game time they’ve been given. It will be easier for the head coach to manage next season when the schedule will be fixture-heavy.
With two games left to play in the Premier League, United need just one point to secure third place. That means Carrick may have room to experiment with the team as well as fringe players or those on the cusp of the first team.
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Shea Lacey likely to get minutes against Brighton next week
Highly rated 18-year-old Shea Lacey made his senior debut in December 2025, coming on as a substitute in United’s 2-1 win away at Aston Villa.
With three senior appearances to his name, Lacey hasn’t featured for the first team since he was sent off in the FA Cup third round defeat against Brighton.
Ahead of United’s final home game of the season against Nottingham Forest on Sunday, Carrick was asked if he would give minutes to young players like Lacey in the final two games.
Carrick hinted that it may be on the agenda, but noted how Lacey and others would be involved in the Premier League 2 final against Brighton on Saturday night.
“100 per cent,” Carrick told reporters on Friday when asked if there’d be scope for young players to get opportunities in the final two matches.
“It’s something we would love to happen and not so much just talking about Shea [Lacey], but I think in terms of getting the younger players involved… listen, they’re heavily involved in and around the group. They have been all the time anyway.
“But the fact that the game is tomorrow night for them [the Under-21s] they’ll be heavily involved in that, and I think they should be. Then obviously, of course, the week after, leading to the Brighton game, we’ll reassess as well.
“But it’s important we finish strong as well, so we’ve got responsibilities to do that as well. So we’ve got to get the balance right, but it’s a massive part of it for me and for this football club – to try and bring the younger players on and give them opportunities to see what they can do, yeah, for sure.”
- ⚡️ NEWS IN BRIEF
- Michael Carrick is open to giving minutes to players like Shea Lacey in the final two games of the season
- Lacey has yet to make a senior appearance under Carrick
- The last time Lacey played for United’s first team, he was sent off against Brighton in the FA Cup
What are your expectations for Shea Lacey next season?
If he can stay fit surely he gets plenty of minutes…🤔
Michael Carrick not afraid of egos
Carrick was quizzed on the dressing room and how he’s managed it compared to Alvaro Arbeloa at Real Madrid.
Arbeloa, like Carrick, became Real Madrid’s interim head coach as a former player, but there have been several fallings out among key players and staff.
Carrick stressed that egos are part of football, especially at the highest level, adding: “The ego’s a funny one, actually, because I think to perform at the top, top level, you’ve got to have some sort of ego.
“That could be used in all sorts of different ways. So I think it’s how you use it, really, is the key thing. And I think the part of me learning from being here, and seeing others, better players than me dealing with that and sacrificing themselves for the team, I think putting the ego from yourself into the team is important. And you’ve got to have something to fight for and be attached to, really.
“So hope I’m making sense when I say that. It doesn’t have to be an ego where it’s an individual thing or it’s a negative in any way. I think essentially it’s a pride in yourself and what you’re kind of working towards, you know? And I think all our egos, which we’ve got in different ways… and I think it’s clear to see the spirit and the connection and the camaraderie that everyone’s pulling in one direction, to kind of put their ego into the football club can be quite powerful. We’ve got to use that.”
Former United coach Jose Mourinho is on the verge of returning to Madrid.
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