"Big step": Michael Carrick without 3 Man Utd stars for Aston Villa game but £55m ace could return

Manchester manager Michael Carrick will be without three first-team stars for the Premier League clash against Aston Villa at Old Trafford on Sunday.

The Red Devils have been in fine form under Carrick’s guidance, and they have picked up 19 points from eight league matches since he took charge.

United host the Villans this weekend, and ahead of the game, Carrick has confirmed that Mason Mount is back in training and will be assessed in the lead-up.

Carrick said: “Mason’s back with the group, which is fantastic. He’s an important player for us, Mason, and to have him back and involved is a good step for us, definitely.

“He’s not, you know, 100 per cent in terms of [being] back because he’s only trained a very small amount of time, but he’s back and that’s good for us.

“So, we’ll see if he’s involved or not on Sunday, but yeah, it’s a big step for him, but we’re happy with that. Yeah, that’s it in terms of players coming back for now.”

Mount has had a difficult career with the Red Devils. The £55 million signing has failed to get over his injury troubles despite being in his third season at the club.

The England international may not be fit enough to make the matchday squad against the Villans and could be involved in next weekend’s league clash at Bournemouth.

He may still undergo a late fitness test before Sunday’s encounter. Meanwhile, Noussair Mazraoui has returned to full training after an injury scare against Newcastle United.

However, Carrick will be without the services of Lisandro Martinez (calf), Matthijs de Ligt (back) and Patrick Dorgu (hamstring) to face Unai Emery’s side this weekend.

The 44-year-old previously said that Martinez could return in a ‘matter of days’, but it appears the Argentine has not yet recovered. He may not feature until after the March international break.

United suffered a minor blip with the late 2-1 defeat to 10-man Newcastle at St James’ Park on March 4. They have since had an extended break and should be well prepared for Sunday’s clash.

Villa had a busy midweek Europa League round of 16 tie at Lille on Thursday night. United have been handed a big advantage and must capitalise to boost their Champions League pursuit.

A top-five finish in the league could be sufficient to secure Champions League football. United are currently third in the table, ahead of Villa on goal difference. They are three points in front of Chelsea and Liverpool, who are fifth and sixth, respectively, in the standings.

Among the chasing pack, Villa have been the most unconvincing in recent weeks with three winless matches. United already have a superior goal difference and can put some distance between the clubs with a home victory over the Midlands outfit this weekend.

Stats from Transfermarkt.com

Article written by Sri Aswin .