Manchester United face Atletico Madrid in the Champions League this evening at the Riyadh Air Metropolitano Stadium, with manager Michael Carrick under mounting pressure following a dismal start to the Premier League season.
United opened their European campaign with a 4-0 win against Sabah, but domestic form has been poor. The club has taken just six points from six Premier League games this term, their worst return at this stage of a campaign in 40 years, when Ron Atkinson was replaced by Sir Alex Ferguson in November 1986.
Carrick's rallying call
Speaking at his pre-match press conference, Michael Carrick said he "loves" challenging periods because they help a manager know which players they can rely on, a rallying call to the squad ahead of the Atletico match.
Carrick was hired on a two-year contract in the summer after winning more points than any other top-flight manager during his interim stint, but the 45-year-old is now being scrutinised after a poor start to the season. The pressure on Carrick has increased, and he faces the challenge of taking on Atletico Madrid tonight.
Shaw and Mainoo ruled out
Carrick will be without Luke Shaw and Kobbie Mainoo tonight as both players have missed out on the trip to Madrid due to injuries. Both picked up knocks against Tottenham that have ruled them out of the game.
Neither Shaw nor Mainoo were spotted in training at Carrington on Monday morning before the United players departed for the Spanish capital. Both had started the Premier League draw with Tottenham. Shaw's absence is particularly problematic, with left-back alternatives Noussair Mazraoui and Patrick Dorgu also on the treatment table after picking up injuries on international duty.
Benjamin Sesko is also still out, with Carrick refusing to put a timeframe on the Slovenian striker's absence as the club work out the next steps to deal with a problematic shin injury.
Atletico praise and Madrid backdrop
Atletico defender David Hancko claimed yesterday that United have "amazing players" despite the Reds' poor start to the season.
The match comes after Spain's national day, when streets in Madrid were packed with revellers enjoying an extra day off work. As the city basked in mid-20s temperatures, patriots walked around wrapped in flags and World Cup shirts. In the city centre, there was a military parade, and Manchester United fans arriving at the airport suffered delays as passenger planes dodged 82 aircraft performing an aerial display.
An early general election has been called for next month in Spain, and tensions are high over various political issues. United returned from the international break with a 1-1 draw against Tottenham last weekend, another disappointing result, and Carrick will be desperate to avoid defeat against Atletico.
