September 11, 2026, 10:37 AM
Manchester United host Manchester City at Old Trafford on Sunday in the first derby of the 2026–27 Premier League season, with Michael Carrick’s side seeking to build on their 4–0 Champions League win over Sabah. City arrive with two extra days of recovery after their 2–0 victory at Porto on Tuesday, but head coach Enzo Maresca said United must adapt to the demanding schedule.
Maresca rejected the suggestion that United’s Thursday-night European fixture creates an unfair disadvantage. He pointed to a comparable situation for City last season, when his team played Napoli before facing Arsenal two days later.
“Sometimes it happens in football,” Maresca said. “I don’t have any doubt that Manchester United are going to be ready for that. It just matters to adapt.”
United will have had limited recovery time following their win over Sabah, but Carrick was able to rotate key players in midweek. Matheus Cunha, Bruno Fernandes, Benjamin Šeško and Lisandro Martínez scored in a comfortable victory, while Marcus Rashford did not start as United managed workloads ahead of the derby.
Šeško’s return is a particular positive for Carrick. The Slovenian striker scored against Sabah in his first start since recovering from a shin injury and is pushing for a place in the starting side after being carefully managed since his return.
Carrick’s first Manchester derby as United head coach ended in a 2–0 home win in January, when goals from Bryan Mbeumo and Patrick Dorgu ended City’s 13-match unbeaten run. Sunday’s fixture will be his second derby in charge and offers United the chance to build on that result against a City side that has begun the league campaign with three straight victories.
City’s main selection issue concerns Jérémy Doku, who remains out with a calf injury. Nico O’Reilly, who missed recent matches after suffering a back problem in the warm-up before the Coventry game, has returned to contention and Maresca said the 21-year-old is fully available.
Maresca also highlighted the particular importance of Phil Foden in a fixture that carries added meaning for the Manchester-born academy graduate. Foden has played in 17 derbies and scored six goals against United, including a hat-trick at the Etihad Stadium in 2022.
City defeated Porto through two second-half goals from Erling Haaland, who scored in the 47th minute and again in stoppage time. The result gave Maresca’s team a winning Champions League start, although the manager acknowledged that his side could have been more clinical in the first half.
Michael Oliver will referee the derby, which kicks off at 4:30pm BST on Sunday. City begin the weekend top of the Premier League with nine points, while United are 11th after collecting four points from their opening three matches.
