Manchester United return to Premier League action this weekend as they host struggling Tottenham at Old Trafford. Michael Carrick will hope to get back to winning ways after his side finished up before the international break with a last-minute draw with Fulham.
Since then, 11 players have been on national-team duty and returned to first-team training at Carrington. The Red Devils have some tough fixtures on the horizon, including consecutive away trips to Atletico, Leeds and Como.
Baleba could make debut
Summer signing Carlos Baleba could be the next debutant under Carrick after signing from Brighton for £70million. The 22-year-old was carrying an injury before confirming a switch to Old Trafford and could now be in line to play against former manager Roberto De Zerbi on Saturday night.
Sir Alex sheds light on Pep chat
Sir Alex Ferguson admitted he wished he had invited Pep Guardiola to dinner earlier so he could have convinced him to join United. Long before he brought success to United's rivals Manchester City, Ferguson sat down for dinner with the Spaniard in the year before he left Old Trafford. Reflecting in his new book, Games of My Life, the iconic manager dreams of turning back the clock and coaxing Guardiola to replace him at the Red Devils.
Ferguson wrote: "Over the past ten years, I have often wondered what might have happened if the dinner I had with Pep in New York in 2012 had taken place a couple of months earlier. At the time, I hadn't decided for certain that I was going to retire. And Pep was convinced that, after achieving huge success in just four years in La Liga with a Continental treble as well as a League and Champions League double, he wanted to try life in the Bundesliga with Bayern Munich.
"If I could rewind time, we would have dined some months earlier, I would have poured plenty of Tignanello (Italian wine) and I would have tried my hardest to convince him that his future lay in Manchester. Unfortunately for us, it did. Enough said."
Ex-Utd star tipped for sensational return
Scott McTominay is being linked with a sensational return to United, two years on from his exit from the club. The Scotland international has found major success at Napoli, winning the Serie A title and becoming a key player for the Italian outfit.
However, Sky Sports Switzerland has now claimed that the midfielder could leave the club as early as January and United have already 'enquired' about potentially re-signing him. Aston Villa and Real Madrid have also registered interest and McTominay's agents are in contact with "several" Premier League sides, it is said.
Reports in Italy state that the midfielder has instructed his agents to try and negotiate a new deal with Napoli but he is "open" to the idea of returning to England. If an agreement cannot be reached regarding a new contract with the Serie A side, then McTominay may decide to leave in just a few months time.
