Michael Carrick addresses Manchester United’s extended breaks in their Premier League schedule
Michael Carrick has spoken out about the lengthy breaks Manchester United will have in their fixture list for the rest of the 2025-26 Premier League season.
Fans are already feeling the wait, with the Red Devils not having played since last Tuesday’s draw at London Stadium.
There’s a 12-day gap between that 1-1 result against West Ham and Monday’s trip to face Everton at Hill Dickinson Stadium.
This isn’t an isolated stretch. There are more extended breaks coming up before the season wraps up.
Later in March, there’s another long spell without a game. After playing Bournemouth on March 20th, United won’t be back on the pitch until April 11th when they host Leeds at Old Trafford – a full three weeks apart.
Michael Carrick addresses how Man Utd are handling fixture gaps
Manchester United’s season was trimmed to just 40 matches after their early exits from both the Carabao Cup and the FA Cup.
They also entered this campaign without any European fixtures, following their loss to Tottenham in the 2025 Europa League final in Spain.
Speaking before Monday night’s game against Everton, Michael Carrick said the key during these breaks is “getting the balance right.”
“We try to make it useful in different ways,” he told reporters, as quoted by Manchester Evening News.
“When there is change and the month we had together, it was important to have a couple of days to digest that and take it in.”
He added: “The boys have trained a bit, had a few days off, and trained a bit again. It is about getting the balance right, keeping the rhythm, the sharpness right, keeping the focus.
Michael Carrick addresses the idea of Man Utd adding friendlies to fill gaps in the fixture list
With limited matches on their Premier League schedule, United have been linked with the possibility of arranging mid-season friendlies in Saudi Arabia.
There’s been no official word on whether the club will go ahead with that plan, but Carrick did offer his perspective when asked about it.
“It depends on a lot of things; there is not a black and white answer,” Carrick explained. “We will make a call on it. There is a bit of an area in between, it depends on where the game is, what time it is when the fixtures fall, so it is not straightforward and if it is something we need to look at, we can do and if we think it is what is best for the players.”
The Red Devils travel to Hill Dickinson Stadium for Monday night’s Premier League meeting with Everton, with kick-off set for 8pm UK time.
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