De Ligt is set to return next week but is likely to miss Manchester United's match against Arsenal! The reason behind Šeško missing the derby revealed

Manchester United center-back De Ligt, sidelined since November 30 last year due to injury, is likely to regain fitness next week. Nevertheless, the long-term absent Dutch defender will not feature in the crucial Premier League match at Arsenal this Sunday. Since he has been out of training for more than a month, his return to the field must be gradual.

Each year of De Ligt’s career has involved adapting to a new head coach, and this year he must first impress Carrick. The Dutch international was seen cheering enthusiastically from the stands at Old Trafford last Saturday as Manchester United beat Manchester City 2-0. However, the performances of Lisandro Martínez and Maguire on the pitch have made it harder for De Ligt to regain a starting spot upon his return.

The 32-year-old Maguire has just recovered from injury and played the full match with a strong performance. Carrick’s assistant, Steve Holland, who also worked with Maguire in the England coaching staff, holds him in high regard. Therefore, De Ligt, whose style resembles Maguire’s, must perform even better to reclaim a starting position.

Another injured Manchester United player who is also Dutch is forward Joshua Zirkzee. He suffered a left thigh muscle strain during the FA Cup match against Brighton and missed last week’s training and the derby, watching the game from beside De Ligt.

After the match, 24-year-old Zirkzee told fans who asked for his autograph that he would need two weeks to recover. Whether he remains with the Red Devils after that depends on whether the club agrees to sell him to Serie A’s Roma.

Another Manchester United player who was disappointed in the derby was the €85 million striker Benjamin Šeško, who remained on the bench. During Darren Fletcher’s temporary management of two games, Šeško scored three goals, but he did not get a single minute in Carrick’s first match in charge.

After the match, Carrick hugged and comforted Šeško. It is reported that the Slovenian striker was not fielded because he felt unwell the day before the game.

Šeško reported stomach discomfort to the medical team, which was the main reason Carrick did not play him. Notably, this is already the second time this season Šeško has suffered from stomach issues. In early December last year, after missing a month due to a knee injury, he was also affected by food poisoning before his comeback, which hindered his recovery.

Since joining Manchester United for a high fee, Šeško’s development has been challenging. However, the 23-year-old insists he never regrets his transfer decision. His agent, Elvis Basanovic, revealed: "I visited Benjamin in Manchester and asked him about his choice to join United. He told me: Elvis, if I hadn’t chosen Manchester United, I would regret it for the rest of my life.”

Šeško has excellent movement off the ball, and his number of shots is increasing. He has the ability to score with just one or two touches, which could make him a striker capable of consistently scoring more than 10 goals in a Premier League season.

However, "Jingji Net" believes he is too cautious, trying to play it safe, which makes his shots easy for goalkeepers to save. The arrival of Carrick and the new Manchester United coaching staff might help Šeško, as Carrick’s brief managerial career has shown a talent for unlocking forwards’ potential.

In the 2022/23 season, Chuba Akpom scored 28 goals in 38 Championship games for Middlesbrough, setting a personal best. Cameron Archer, Marcus Forss, and Tommy Conway also experienced their most prolific seasons under Carrick’s guidance.