Carrick backs United to push in Europe

Manchester United have not played in the Champions League since 2023-24, but Michael Carrick is relishing the challenge ahead as the club returns to Europe’s premier competition.

United secured their place in the Champions League for the first time since 2023-24 by finishing third in the Premier League last season. That campaign ended with an elimination in the group stage, and United have won just one of their last nine games in the competition, with three draws and five defeats.

The Red Devils begin their 2026-27 Champions League campaign against tournament debutants Sabah, facing their first ever Azerbaijani opponent in European competition. United have not won their opening game in any of their last four major European seasons, with one draw and three losses since a 2-1 away win at Paris Saint-Germain in their first game of the 2020-21 Champions League.

‘I’m not writing anything off’

Carrick insisted the team should not set a ceiling for their progress.

"I don't think it's a kind of going, 'If we get to a certain stage, that's a success, and if we don't, it's not'. I think we've got to embrace the new challenge that we face as a group and push to what we can push to. I think we're capable of doing some really good things and going further down the line in this competition, and then who knows when it gets to that stage. I'm not writing anything off, but again, taking it step by step and certainly not getting ahead of ourselves, you know, because some part of it is a new experience for some of the players, and as a group it is a bit of a new experience right currently now. But the boys are used to playing European football for the most part in different competitions, and we'll take that forward, and we've got a squad that's strong enough to compete."

United have made a turbulent start to the 2026-27 campaign domestically, opening their Premier League season with a shock loss to Hull City before thrashing Ipswich Town. Last weekend they twice gave up a lead against Everton in a 2-2 draw, conceding a 96th-minute equaliser.

‘We’re here to do business’

Carrick stressed the importance of the competition to the club’s standards.

"It's a magical competition, you know. It's where we all want to be. When you're out of it, you realise how special it is, and when you're in it, you want to make the most of it. We're delighted to be here, but we're not here to just enjoy the occasion. We're here to do business and go as far as we possibly can."

He added:

"It means an awful lot [to be in the Champions League]. It's challenging yourself against the elite, at the very best, and I've said it before, I think, over a long, long period of time, this football club has been used to challenging with the best and being the best, and it is not something you can take for granted. What it takes to be there and what it takes to stay there. We missed out on it for a number of years, and now we are back, so I think it means a lot. It is where we want to be every year. It is where we should expect to be without being ahead of ourselves. It is what we have to push for. It is the standards that we want to set, and it is up to us to be able to do that. We made huge steps over the last few months or a year or so to make it in and finish the league to be in a strong position. Now it is about what is next and pushing into the next chapter, the next phase, the next evolution of the team and squad. This is certainly where we want to be. It is up to us now to make sure we stay."