Manchester United will make their long-awaited return to the Champions League on Thursday evening, with the Reds featuring in Europe's premier competition for the first time since December 2023.

Michael Carrick's side secured a third-place finish in the Premier League last season, but their opening three games of the new campaign have been somewhat inconsistent. United suffered defeat to Hull City before responding with a win over Ipswich Town, while Everton snatched a late draw in their most recent outing.

Next up is a home meeting with Sabah FK, as United begin their Champions League campaign at Old Trafford. The fixture presents Carrick's side with a chance to return to winning ways and build some momentum in Europe.

Attention will quickly turn towards the Manchester derby, however, with Manchester City due to visit Old Trafford after the Sabah clash. Carrick will therefore have to decide how much rotation to make as he balances European commitments with another crucial Premier League fixture.

Against Everton, many were confused about why Marcus Rashford, United's most dangerous forward on the day, was suddenly withdrawn after 70 minutes.

However, after the tie, the Untied boss confirmed that the winger had been feeling some discomfort during the fixture and was relieved of his duties to ensure he did not suffer any lasting damage.

On Wednesday, United held an open training session, of which Rashford was spotted with the full group, while Luke Shaw was not as he had been handed a rest day.

Following the session, Carrick took questions from the press as part of his pre-match duties and issued the latest on United's fitness ahead of the Thursday evening tie.

Speaking on Shaw, Carrick said, "We just gave him an extra recovery day today. Obviously, we’ll see by tomorrow how he is. It’s not an ongoing thing, a plan.

"Just off the back of the game the other day, each individual has things we manage, and it was Luke today."

Further, Carrick was asked about the possibility of whether he would rotate his squad for the tie, considering he played the same starting XI in two fixtures in a row against Ipswich Town and Everton.

"It's a balanced view, that's why we've got the squad," The United boss replied.

"We need to adapt to certain strengths and different ways of playing. We play Thursday, Wednesday, it's about managing the group and trusting them, and anyone who can play will play."

Carrick was also asked about Matthijs de Ligt, who has not played for United since October last year before suffering a back injury.

"We're still managing him," he replied. "He's trained well, and he's pushing and pushing, but we've got to manage that last stage. He's in a good place, and it's great to have him back. Hopefully, he will return soon."

Finally, the United gaffer was questioned on striker Benjamin Šeško, who has not started for the club after missing all of pre-season with a shin injury.

"Yeah, he's close; he missed a lot, but we've had to manage him and get him fit," Carrick said of the Slovenian. "He scored a fantastic goal [vs Everton], he did an awful lot for us last season, and he's in a good place. It's just a case of when he takes that next step."

Looking ahead to the Sabah fixture, Carrick would be forgiven for not knowing the the ins and outs of every single aspect of the azerbaijani oppoentn.

However, when asked what threat he expects from the visitors, Carrick was quick to mention Sabah's winning record and ability to press well and cohesively as a unit.

"They're a very well-coached team, they've won a lot of matches, and they're playing with confidence," Carrick said.

"They press well as a team, so we're aware of what we're up against."