Michael Carrick will hand some Man Utd youngsters the chance to impress at Brighton on Sunday and there could be a couple of squad places for 2026/27 up for grabs.
Tyler Fletcher could get a chance in the United first team at Brighton this weekend
Manchester United’s players will return to Carrington today after being given two days off following Sunday’s win against Nottingham Forest. There were emotional scenes at Old Trafford and the squad enjoyed a night out after the game to celebrate what has turned into an excellent campaign.
It did feel like the final day of the season. There were farewells to be said, speeches to be made and a record to be broken. United secured third with the victory and it felt like a job well done.
So it’s going to feel like something of an unusual week, given there is still one more game to go. United’s players haven’t consciously switched off, but for everyone, Sunday did feel like an ending, when there is actually a lengthy trip to the south coast to come this weekend.
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United have nothing to play for on the final day of the Premier League season and they could struggle to match the intensity of Fabian Hurzeler’s side, who have their sights set on European football next term.
That is partly why Carrick gave his squad a couple of days off this week. It was a chance to decompress after the weekend, with the aim of returning to Carrington today, ready to build up for the trip to the Amex. It also partly explains the delay this week in confirming thr 44-year-old as the club’s permanent head coach.
Carrick hinted last week that he could look to give some youngsters a game this weekend, something that was off the table against Forest, with the FA Youth Cup final on Thursday night and the Premier League 2 play-off final on Saturday night.
With the academy seasons now drawing to a close, there is potential to include some for what is essentially a dead rubber this weekend. It might also help inject some freshness and energy into the squad.
There won’t be widespread changes, but a couple of players will be hoping to get a look in. Shea Lacey is yet to make an appearance under Carrick, but the 19-year-old is now a first-team squad player and trains with the seniors every week. He had made a real impact in January under Darren Fletcher and could be handed a first start for United.
Lacey, 19, has real potential and looks ready to be an impact player next season. He has the talent to flesh out a squad aiming to play 60 games rather than 40 and if his progress continues, he could soon be giving Amad a concern or two about his place in the squad.
The other area Carrick might be wise to take a look at is in midfield. Casemiro said goodbye on Sunday and there might be little point in giving him another game. That felt like the perfect endpoint at the weekend. United also know what they are going to get from Manuel Ugarte and starting the Uruguayan is pointless when he will be available for transfer.
Carrick might yet need to bolster his midfield options via the academy next season, so this could be the perfect time to run the rule over a couple. Tyler Fletcher was presented with the Denzil Haroun Award for the club’s best under-21 player on Sunday and can start at Brighton to see if he’s ready for a Premier League squad role.
There might also be a chance for his brother Jack to make the squad, while 18-year-old Jim Thwaites is another young midfielder that United have high hopes for.
Carrick has kept a close eye on the academy since his appointment in January and he will already have a good idea of the youngsters he thinks are close to being ready for a first-team role. United will need a bigger squad next season, and this weekend could well act as an audition for one or two of them.
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2026-05-20 05:00:00
