Carrick: I haven't experienced the toxic culture Ten Hag spoke of

In the third round of the Champions League group stage, Manchester United will face Como away. Ahead of the match, Manchester United manager Carrick attended a press conference to answer media questions. In the first part of the conference, Carrick discussed the team's injury situation, the potential availability of De Ligt, and Ten Hag's criticism of the internal culture at Manchester United. He also addressed the team's defensive issues and the potential impact of the local weather on the match.

Reporter: Good evening, Michael. Can you provide an update on the current squad situation? For example, Lisandro Martinez, Marcus Rashford, Kobbie Mainoo, and Luke Shaw. I might have missed some others; can you tell us who travelled with the team and who didn't?

Carrick: Honestly, it's a mixed bag. We have quite a few players out. Lisandro's injury isn't too serious, but he didn't travel with us, so we'll have to see if he can make it for the weekend's game. Kobbie might need another 10 days or so, but that's not an exact timeframe. Luke's recovery might take a bit longer. The team has been affected by some injuries and illnesses, and some players in the squad are feeling unwell. However, we will definitely do our best to cope.

Reporter: What about Aiden Bevan and Marcus Rashford?

Carrick: Aiden is ill. As for Marcus, he still has some discomfort in his hip, and we are working to help him resolve that. We hope he can recover soon as well.

Reporter: One last question. Looking ahead to tomorrow's game, you previously said that the weekend's match was a fresh start. How do you maintain that positive momentum for tomorrow night? Does the team need to get off to a good start and begin to turn around recent results?

Carrick: Yes, we absolutely have to do that, no doubt. I do feel that the players are in a good place mentally right now, and I think we brought that spirit into the last game. It was a tough game, and the players put in a tremendous amount of effort, so we are really looking forward to tomorrow night's match.

It's a different game, on a different night, in a different country, but we have to bring the same intensity we showed on Sunday because there were a lot of positives from that game.

Reporter: Hello, Michael. De Ligt was out for a long time with a back injury. Now he's finally back. What does that mean for the team? Is he ready to start tomorrow?

Carrick: It's great to have him back. He's been through a very long rehabilitation process, having not played for about 11 months. During this time, he's been patient and worked incredibly hard on his recovery. So we're very happy to see him rejoin the squad. He's fit and ready now. He's been training for the past few weeks, so he's in very good condition.

Reporter: Hello, Michael. Obviously, you're facing some issues at left-back right now. You've brought Harry Amass, who has been on the bench a few times before. Are you seriously considering starting him now?

Carrick: Of course. That's why Harry is here with the team; he is absolutely in our considerations. Young players always need to get an opportunity at some stage, and the key is finding the right moment. Sometimes, opportunities arise because other players unfortunately encounter some issues; other times, it's because the young players themselves perform well enough that we have to give them a chance.

But really, the situation is similar for all young players. We probably have four, five, or even six such young players in our squad who are all trying to take the next step, hoping to get into the first-team squad and fight for a starting spot. Harry is definitely one of them.

Reporter: Still on the left-back issue. Given that Luke Shaw will have missed six of the first 11 games, do you particularly regret that the club didn't sign a left-back in the summer transfer window?

Carrick: Listen, I think when the team has injury problems at different stages, we can always look back and think, could we have done more, could we have done something better? I think I've explained to you before that we had to make the most of that transfer window based on the situation we were in at the time. The player sitting next to me (Santos) was a very important part of that transfer window. I'm very happy to have him.

We had to make some decisions in the summer, and we did make decisions. We did our best to do what we could. Of course, some injuries occurred later, and Patric (Dorgu) also got injured. Sometimes, injuries just concentrate in the same position at a certain stage, and that does happen.

Reporter: Michael, another question about Sesko. I know you get asked this almost every press conference now, are the related checks still ongoing?

Carrick: We really hope to have a clear understanding of his situation soon. I'm not trying to deliberately delay telling you. Hopefully, the next time we meet, maybe not tomorrow, but by the end of this week, we'll have some more definitive information. Work is currently still underway, so we'll see what the final outcome is.

Reporter: Hello, Michael. One of your predecessors, Ten Hag, recently spoke about a "toxic culture" he experienced at Manchester United. I believe Amorim, when he was coaching here previously, also spoke about similar issues. Since you've arrived here, have you experienced anything that could be categorized as such? As head coach, how would you lead the team away from such a culture?

Carrick: No. Since I've returned to the club, I haven't experienced anything like that. The players and staff have done their utmost and given everything they could to the team. Yes, we've played some good games, and some performances haven't met our expectations; there are areas for improvement, and we have made some mistakes. But that's football, and it's all about performance. However, I must say, and I want to reiterate what I said the other day.

If you don't have good players, then the players simply couldn't have put in the performance they showed last weekend, nor could they have displayed that spirit for most of the game against Atlético Madrid. I'm not talking about the level of performance, but the attitude and manner in which they performed. And the atmosphere we can feel right now. There's a strong sense of unity within the team, a strong will and determination to do better. The players want to work hard for each other, and that's extremely important. So, in terms of team unity, I really couldn't be more satisfied.

Reporter: Michael, the team has had difficulty keeping clean sheets this season. Obviously, constant changes in the defensive line haven't helped to solve this problem. But there's no doubt that if you can keep clean sheets, you'll find it easier to win games. Where do you think the problem lies?

Carrick: You're absolutely right, and I can't dispute that. In terms of the team's overall defensive performance, including each player's individual defending, I think we actually defended quite well in the last game and didn't give the opponent too many chances. We knew the opponent was very good at using set pieces, and ultimately that became crucial for them to score. So, there are indeed some aspects of our game that need improvement, and only then can we make games easier. I am fully aware of that.

Reporter: Hello, Michael. I know you're used to rain in Manchester, but it's raining heavily here in Como now, and continuous rain with potential thunderstorms is forecast for the next 24 hours. Are you concerned about the pitch conditions? Or is there a possibility that the match could be postponed due to this?

Carrick: No, I don't have any concerns about that at the moment. As you said, we are indeed used to rain, so we will adapt to the conditions as best as we can.

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