After a long international break, Manchester United return to Premier League action on Saturday, hosting a struggling Tottenham Hotspur at Old Trafford.

United are looking to get their second league win this season and hope a three-week break brings fresh energy to the squad. Although players like Noussair Mazraoui and Patrick Dorgu have faced setbacks, some are working back to full fitness and could boost Michael Carrick's side.

In his press conference before Saturday's match, Carrick gave some encouraging updates on some players recovering from injury. For example, Marcus Rashford, Kobbie Mainoo, Amad Diallo and Carlos Baleba have all been training with the squad ahead of the upcoming match.

After joining the club for a £70 million fee this summer, expectations will be high for Carlos Baleba. He was United's most expensive signing this transfer window and is seen as the ideal partner for Kobbie Mainoo in central midfield.

When Baleba was first signed by United in August, there was an issue with his ankle which would take time to recover.

Now, after making the bench in the last match and having an international break to get back up to speed, he is expected to make his debut for the club this weekend.

Michael Carrick confirmed in his pre-match press conference that Baleba had "trained a lot" over the last few weeks, seemingly hinting at the possibility of Baleba starting against Tottenham.

According to BBC Sport, a United insider described Baleba as "very quick" and said he "covers the ground really well." This suggests Baleba has shown promising signs in training and could be vital to United's season.

United's start to the Premier League season has been far short of what they'd hoped for. Five points from a possible 15 is disappointing, and with a busy schedule ahead, it feels like this is make-or-break for Carrick.

Tottenham have struggled too and currently sit at the bottom of the table with zero wins. Both managers could be under pressure, but Carrick's side must win for United to have any hope of a successful season.

Due to an underwhelming transfer window, United's squad has felt light in the first part of the season, and now it feels like a lot of pressure could be on Baleba to fix it all.

That would be completely unrealistic and unfair to the 22-year-old, who had a difficult season for Brighton last year. But with support and patience, there is no doubt that there is quality there and potentially a player who could play a huge part in United's future.