Manchester United return to Champions League action and will hope to end the barren four-game run without a win after the disappointing draw against 10-man Tottenham Hotspur.

Michael Carrick's side will travel to the Estadio Metropolitano to take on Atletico Madrid, who sit second in La Liga, ahead of their city rivals, Real Madrid. 

This will be a huge week for Carrick, with two difficult tests: after the Red Devils return from Spain, they take on high-flying Leeds United on the weekend.

Luke Shaw being out, meaning there is no senior left-back available, was already problematic, but the news of Kobbie Mainoo also being out has only added to the headache that Carrick must be facing.

The first half against Tottenham Hotspur was one of the most dismal displays by a Manchester United side ever, especially in the midfield. The amount of space Spurs had to play in, and the lack of urgency and speed, were alarming. In turn, it could have potentially ended the long-term chances of Youri Tielemans and Mainoo being the two midfielders behind Bruno Fernandes. 

However, when Carlos Baleba was subbed on, he injected much-needed life into the midfield. While everyone was aware of his defensive capabilities and his ability to sniff out danger, his ability on the ball and the speed at which he played, given that he was out for so long, were impressive. 

His performance was in complete contrast to Tielemans, who, despite a decent start to the season, had one of the poorest performances of his career. Yet, despite this, given the injury to Mainoo, he could be set to keep his place in the side, with Baleba replacing the Englishman to make his first start. 

In the pre-match press conference, Carrick hinted at a start for Carlos Baleba, as he said: "I was really encouraged [by his cameo vs Spurs] but not surprised.

"We know what Carlos can bring.  With Kobbie not with us, that gives us different options – there's a call with Carlos, and we'll see what that looks like. Carlos gives us something different in the balance of midfield."

The personnel changes speak for themselves, given that player Baleba's profile is exactly what Manchester United needed in midfield. 

However, the club needs serious tactical changes if it wants to recover from a poor start to the season. Against Spurs, there were huge gaps between the defence and midfield, and then between the midfield and the attack. 

This is very different from United last season, when the gaps were much smaller, allowing the side to play their way out of danger. Now, they rely on patiently playing their way out; if that isn't possible, they go long, but when that happens, they rarely win the first ball and, most notably against Spurs, barely win the second.

The team needs to increase the tempo of play, but this is more than just moving the ball quickly. There needs to be constant movement from the entire team to create space and openings rather than staying in one area and expecting the ball to come.