Manchester United have been dealt a major blow with the news that midfielder Michael Carrick could be out for the first few months of the season. It was the first day of pre-season training at United, but Carrick suffered an ankle injury that could keep him out of action for up to 10 weeks. New manager Louis van Gaal, who had just arrived for his first day of training, confirmed the news. United, though, are likely to be too worried about the situation since they are expected to be quite active in the transfer window – especially for midfielders.
They have already recruited two players for more than £ 50 million with one of them being the defensive midfielder. Carrick has been a crucial element in Manchester United’s success over the last five years. There were many sceptics who questioned the £ 18 million transfer fee paid by United for his services. However, the former Tottenham midfielder has more than proved to be a capable replacement for Paul Scholes in the centre of the park. Even though he was not taken to the World Cup 2014 by England manager Roy Hodgson, Carrick still remains a great player.
The 32-year-old will also provide a lot of experience to the team and van Gaal will be looking forward to his return. "Michael Carrick has had surgery this morning on his left ankle ligaments and will be out for 10-12 weeks," said a statement on Manchester United’s official site. "It is a big blow because he is a very experienced player," said the new manager, van Gaal. United will be involved in pre-season friendly matches over the next few weeks with the squad flying to the United States as part of their pre-season tour. Van Gaal confirmed that he wants to win the league title with United.