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Why Michael Carrick has changed his Manchester United midfield vs Atletico Madrid

Man Utd play Atletico Madrid in the Champions League on Tuesday night and Michael Carrick spoke ahead of kick-off.

Published: Tuesday, 13 October 2026 at 6:25 PM
Why Michael Carrick has changed his Manchester United midfield vs Atletico Madrid
Key Things to Know
  • Michael Carrick changed Manchester United's midfield against Atletico Madrid to achieve greater match control.
  • Carlos Baleba and Andrey Santos were handed starts, with Youri Tielemans moving into the No.10 role.
  • Carrick noted the adjustments followed a difficult midfield display in United's recent defeat to Tottenham.
The Story in 60 Seconds

Manchester United manager Michael Carrick altered his midfield setup for Tuesday night's match against Atletico Madrid to gain more control. After struggling against Tottenham, Carrick handed starts to Carlos Baleba and Andrey Santos while shifting Youri Tielemans into the attacking midfield role.

Speaking ahead of the match, Carrick explained that the personnel adjustments were aimed at making United less open both with and without the ball. He also noted that Bruno Fernandes could feature on the right wing or as a false nine to provide tactical flexibility.

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