Man Utd v Roma preview: Carrick ‘can’t wait’ as winless United face Gasperini’s flying Roma

Man Utd v Roma arrives at the worst possible moment for Michael Carrick, whose side host Gian Piero Gasperini’s in-form Italians at Old Trafford on Tuesday without a win in nine matches.

Main image: DSN graphic. Photo: Timmy96 / Wikimedia Commons, CC0

Kick-off in the Champions League league phase is 8pm UK time. United have taken three points from their first three European games, while Roma travel north after scoring five at Udinese on Saturday.

Man Utd v Roma: Carrick refuses to hide

United’s slide has been brutal. They are 17th in the Premier League, have won only two of 13 games in all competitions this season, and Saturday’s 2-0 defeat at Chelsea stretched the winless run to nine. You have to go back to 1984 for a longer run.

That run began well before the trip to Stamford Bridge, which we previewed in Chelsea v Man Utd: Carrick’s United seek to end winless run. Several UK outlets now report the club’s hierarchy is weighing the head coach’s future, but Carrick was defiant at his pre-match press conference on Monday.

“You might think I’m crazy with the results we’ve had and what’s going on, but I genuinely really can’t wait for the game, and that’s all I’m focused on,” he said. He added that he had no doubts over his players’ commitment and described the dressing room as “a good place”.

Patrick Dorgu misses out for the hosts. Next up in the league is Aston Villa, whose weekend we covered in Emery’s Aston Villa preview against Fulham.

Gasperini’s Roma short in midfield

Roma were 4-0 up at half-time in Udine before winning 5-2, with Bryan Cristante, Rodrigo Mora, Donyell Malen, Evan Ndicka and Daniele Ghilardi all scoring. The win lifted them to third in Serie A, in a title race we looked at before the weekend in our Milan v Inter derby preview.

Gasperini is short of bodies, though. Lorenzo Pellegrini, Paulo Dybala and Manu Koné are all unavailable, and the Roma coach admitted his midfield options are thin, saying all 17 players he has available are ready. He warned his side not to read too much into United’s league form, calling them a strong team, and said of Roma’s European hopes: “Everyone has the right to dream.”

History on United’s side

United have won all four of their home games against Roma, most famously the 7-1 quarter-final rout in 2007 when Carrick himself scored twice. He called it “a magical night” on Monday. It was also a reminder of better days. Back in August, our sister site DGBN reported Carrick was “really pleased” after Bruno Fernandes’ hat-trick sparked a comeback win over Ipswich. Those days feel a long time ago.

Key numbers	Man Utd	Roma
Last result	L 0-2 at Chelsea	W 5-2 at Udinese
League position	17th, Premier League	3rd, Serie A
Absentees	Dorgu	Pellegrini, Dybala, Koné
Kick-off	Tue 3 Nov, 8pm UK, Old Trafford

What to watch

Roma’s attacking trio of Matías Soulé, Mora and Malen shared two goals and two assists in Udine, while United have lost six of their last nine (D3 L6). If Carrick’s side can survive the first 20 minutes and get the crowd behind them, Roma’s stretched midfield could tire. Lose again, and the pressure on the United bench only grows.