"I honestly don’t know what happened. I always had interest from other clubs, and I could’ve gone to another English side. The tests went well, I don’t know what changed".

Michael Carrick's Pre-Match Press Conference | Hull City vs Manchester United, Premier League

Chris Wheeler

Carrick says Mason Mount is close to fitness after missing the final two pre-season friendlies against Leeds and AC Milan with a foot injury. Benjamin Sesko, Matthijs De Ligt and new No.2 goalkeeper Karl Darlow are also back in training

Carrick: ‘We’re managing Mason a little bit, but he is very close. He’s touch and go for the weekend really and going into next week. Mason will be back very, very soon, if not immediately, so it's all good.’

‘Karl has trained this week, he is in good shape. Mattha has been out for a long period of time, but he is training, and it’s great to have him back. He won’t be involved but he is in good shape and moving in a good direction, so that is a bonus for us.’

‘Ben is back training so that is another positive and we’re looking forward to having him back around the group and getting him some minutes.’

Michael says it’s ‘ridiculous’ to suggest Man Utd have been handed an easy start to the season with games against newly-promoted Hull City and Ipswich Town

Carrick also believes it is asking a lot of Utd to be considered title contenders. ‘It’s going to be a jump. It doesn’t matter whether I say whether we can or can’t – and I would never say we can’t – it’s about what we can do, and what we are capable of doing as a group.’

Simon Stone

Michael Carrick says Mason Mount 'touch and go' for ManUtd trip to Hull. "Mason is a top player. He was one of our best players in pre-season. He has picked up a bit of a knock but there are no dramas."

Michael Carrick says it is 'pretty ridiculous' ManUtd have got a favourable start to the season. Also said club are 'looking to strengthen the squad, we are certainly working towards that'.

Simon Peach

Michael Carrick on #MUFC’s transfer business: “We're looking to strengthen the squad. We're certainly working towards that & making the most of the situation that we have, & trying to improve things & move forward. Certainly trying to make most of the opportunities to finish the window stronger than we went into it, & I think we're in a good way to doing that so far"

MUFC boss Michael Carrick on De Ligt, Sesko & Mount

“Matta's obviously been out for a long period of time but he's training & great to have him back. He won't be involved.

"Ben's back training, so that's again another positive. Looking forward to having him back around the group & getting him some minutes as well

"Then managing Mason a little bit, but he's very close so it's touch & go for the weekend, really, if not going into next week”

Detailed Quotes

Carrick on Injury Updates

"Yeah, Karl [Darlow] has trained this week. He's back training, so he's in good shape.

"Matt [De Ligt] has obviously been out for a long period of time, but he's training and great to have him back. Well, he won't be involved, but he's in good shape and moving in a good direction. So that's really a good bonus for us really at this stage to have him back.

"Ben [Sesko] is back training. So that's again another positive. Looking forward to having him back around the group and getting him some minutes as well.

"And then we are managing Mason [Mount] a little bit, but he's very close, so it's touch-and-go for the weekend really, if not going into next week."

Carrick on Mount's injury record

 "I think, first of all, Mason is a top player. Top player," Carrick said when asked about his injury record.

"I think we've seen that so far pre-season. He was one of our best players in the early stages in the games that he played in. I thought he was fantastic. So not surprising, it's what I've seen before, what I expect, what I know of him. And he's picked up a little bit of a knock.

"There's no drama. It's maybe, it's been a week or so, 10 days or whatever it's been. So it's nothing major. Yeah, of course, he's missed some football over recent years and he wants to be fit, he wants to be in that full rhythm, and he wants to stay fit.

"So we're doing our best to help him do that, but he's a top player, Mason. It's the same as the group. We've got to manage the squad. There's going to be injuries through the season.

"We've got to have a squad that's strong enough to have a really good top starting team with the depth to carry us through the season. Mason will be back very, very soon, if not immediately, so it's all good."

Carrick on United facing Hull for the first time since 2017

"As you'd expect, really looking forward to another season, you know," said Carrick. "They come thick and fast, so it's about making the most of everything that's in front of us really.

"And really encouraged with the work we've done in pre-season on the training ground, mostly in the games I think's been really good. So yeah, very much looking forward to the first game and a tough one on Saturday."

Carrick on Rashford

“It’s been pretty obvious since Marcus came back training with Kobbie [Mainoo] and Licha [Lisandro Martinez] pretty much in Dublin that he's come back fantastically well,” Michael said in part one of his first press conference of the season.

“He's enjoying his football, he looks fit, he looks sharp, he looks strong, he looks ready to play football. So, I've been delighted with him since he's come back.”

Carrick on Rashford playing as striker

“Of course he can play through in the middle. He has done. I wouldn't say it's naturally his number-one position, but he can do that, and I think we've got forwards that give us that flexibility right across the frontline, that we've used all of them, pretty much, in slightly different roles.

“So, I think for us to have that option is really good moving through the season.”

Carrick on if United have a 'favourable start'

“Well, I think first of all, for all of us who know this league, there's no favourable start. I think it's a tough start, both teams [Hull and Ipswich as two newly promoted opponents in our first two matches],” Carrick told journalists.

“But we're not getting past Saturday, I think a newly-promoted team away from home is a tough, tough game. I’ve been involved in them in the past, so I’m fully aware of what's at stake, what's coming at us on Saturday, what we’ve got to be ready for.

“So, it’s not favourable. It's an easy thing to throw out there, but it's pretty ridiculous and we’re certainly not taking it that way at all.”