Carrick vows United will ‘come out fighting’ ahead of Atlético trip
Michael Carrick told reporters in Madrid on 12 October 2026 that Manchester United will "come out fighting" as they prepare to face Atlético Madrid at the Metropolitano Stadium in the second round of the Champions League on Tuesday. He conceded the side were in "a spot" and said they had travelled without Kobbie Mainoo and Luke Shaw after both picked up knocks in the draw against Tottenham at the weekend.
United have recorded just six points in the Premier League so far, their worst league start since 1986-87, and were also knocked out of the Carabao Cup by Brighton at Old Trafford; however, they won their Champions League opener convincingly against Sabah last month. Carrick said he was "loving it" despite the poor domestic form and stressed the work of building the squad cannot be lost sight of.
Carrick urged patience and referenced the difficulty of progress, saying: "To do something good, to do something great, you have got to be able to do something difficult." He recalled that Arsenal finished "seventh or eighth" in Mikel Arteta’s first two seasons and added, "We hoped for a lot more, we expected a lot more, and we are where we are."
On whether he felt under pressure he replied, "It depends on how you define 'pressure'." He described the club's internal expectations as the primary driver and said: "I don’t look outside. I don’t feel the pressure from that at all."
Explaining his approach to managing scrutiny, Carrick said: "I’m pretty good at shutting off, to be honest; closing off and living a little bit in my bubble. And I think that’s what we do as a group. We look after each other, we all know what’s out there and it’s about managing it, controlling it and staying focused on what we can do. It is about us wanting to succeed, to win. That’s the drive. There is no negativity."
Asked about Bruno Fernandes, Carrick said: "I think it’s pretty obvious to say that he can, yeah. I mean, he’s a top player, Bruno. Sometimes things don’t quite go for you, but he’s done some incredible things for this football club and he will do the same in the future, there’s no doubt about that. I’ve seen that a lot was made of [his fitness]. He was carrying something. People don’t maybe realise it, but it happens a lot: players play with issues. I probably played 80% of the games with some sort of issue. It’s not ideal, but it’s manageable. Bruno was able to play the games; that’s the commitment he that he has. He’s pretty much over it. It’s not a major deal, he’s in good shape and he was really bright [in training] this morning, looking forward to the game."
On squad unity and the challenge ahead Carrick added: "We need to do something about it now and accept the reality. I love this part of it: sometimes when it’s not quite going for you, you see who’s really there. You see within the group, the squad, the club, who’s really there and who wants to be there for the long term, [who] is really attached to it and [for whom it] really means something. The supporters are there: they know what they want, they’re desperate for it, and we’ve got to give them something. You have to embrace the challenge. I totally believe that we’ll work through it."
United will meet Atlético Madrid at the Metropolitano Stadium in the Champions League second round on Tuesday.