Carrick faces Everton test as United target response at new ground | OneFootball

Manchester United travel to the Hill Dickinson Stadium for the first time to face Everton on Monday night.

It will also mark Michael Carrick’s first meeting with Everton as United manager, though he faced them many times during his playing career.

United will be eager to avoid a repeat of their April 2019 humiliation at Goodison Park, when Ole Gunnar Solskjær’s side suffered a 4–0 defeat.

“David Moyes’s teams are hard to play against,” Carrick said. “He’s a very good manager and, with the experience he has, knows what it takes to succeed in this league.

“It’s a new challenge for us and one we’re looking forward to. We’ve had time to prepare, and we want to make the most of that.”

Carrick also acknowledged the test of facing Everton away from home, even in a new stadium.

“I know it’s a new ground, but historically it’s been tough. The atmosphere their supporters create has always made it one of the hardest away fixtures. We’re aware of that and have prepared as well as we can.

“We have things to improve, but we’ve built a good foundation and spirit, and we’ll need to draw on that on Monday night.”

United are set to be without Mason Mount and Matthijs de Ligt, though Carrick suggested Mount could be nearing a return.

“Mason is getting closer. We’ve been patient with him because he’s an important part of the group and, when fit, he’ll have a big impact for us.

“Matthijs is a little behind Mason, but we’re working with him to get him back as soon as possible.”

It has been almost two weeks since United last played, and Carrick believes the break has been beneficial.

“We’ve tried to make the break as useful as possible,” he said. “After the kind of month we’ve had, it was important for everyone to have a couple of days to reset.

“The lads have trained well, had some time off, then trained again. It’s about finding the right balance between rhythm, sharpness and focus, and they’ve responded really well.

“The schedule has created some gaps between games, so it’s about adapting and making the best of it.”