Carrick Reveals When Baleba Will Be Available

Manchester United's new signing, Carlos Baleba, for whom the Red Devils paid Brighton £70 million, is set to make his debut only after the international break. In late August, Michael Carrick stated that the midfielder would need "two or three weeks," but Baleba has yet to train with his new teammates, only beginning individual outdoor sessions this week. The expectation at Old Trafford is that he will be available to debut on October 10th, when Manchester United visits Tottenham.

When asked if he would be able to utilize Baleba next month, Carrick responded:

"Yes, that will certainly be the case. He'll return to training with the squad at some point next week or shortly thereafter, so he should be in good shape after the international break. Carlos arrived with an injury, but now he's eager to get involved, be part of the team, and train fully with the lads. As I've said before – he is undoubtedly a quality footballer. That's precisely why we brought him in. Furthermore, he excellently balances the midfield dynamics.

Luke Shaw will likely be ready for the match against Brighton, but it's not entirely certain yet. For him, it's a matter of days, nothing more. Amad isn't as close. Here, it's not about a few days. We'll see how things develop this week with Matthijs de Ligt. He's practically just starting his recovery, so I don't want to commit to specific timelines," Carrick stated regarding the squad news.

Tomorrow, Manchester United hosts Brighton at Old Trafford in a Carabao Cup fixture, with the manager assuring that he takes the tournament seriously, as it could offer him his first opportunity for silverware as manager of the Red Devils.

"Trophies are the beauty of the game, and the feeling of victory is why we're involved in football and sports, and it's certainly something we strive to achieve at this club. It's important for us to win football matches. It's also important to manage the squad correctly – to keep everyone fit, everyone up to speed, everyone ready, and feeling part of the process. We go out on Wednesday with the goal of winning the match."