Ayden Heaven’s meteoric rise forces a bold choice between merit and experience, potentially propelling the teenage defender into Thomas Tuchel’s England squad for the upcoming World Cup.
Manchester United's 3-2 win over Liverpool on Sunday afternoon has secured the club's return to the Champions League for the first time in two years.
Goals from Matheus Cunha, Benjamin Šeško, and Kobbie Mainoo thwarted Liverpool's strikes from Dominik Szoboszlai and Cody Gakpo, both of whom were handed goals through defensive errors.
United have three fixtures remaining this season against Sunderland (A), Nottingham Forest (H), and Brighton (A), and wins in all three could see United finish third in the league with 71 points.
While it would be easy for United to hit the breaks, relax, and play out the rest of the season with little consequence, there is a strong feeling within Old Trafford that securing three wins in their final three games could send a strong message for next campaign.
Carrick's selection headache vs Sunderland
Carrick has been strong in trusting his senior and reliable players since becoming Head coach in January, with the likes of LUke Shaw, DIogo Dlaot, Harry Maguire, and Casemior having played every possible fxiture.
While Lisandro Martínez has been another of these, the centre-back has been serving a three-game ban of late, with young defender Ayden heaven stepping up excellently in his absense.
The three ties against Chelsea, Brentford, and Liverpool have seen the 19-year-old perform exceptionally at left centre-back, much like when he stepped in for an injured Maguire in December under Rúben Amorim.
Yes, it's understandable that Carrick would lean on experience while the club were chasing Champions League football, but now that's secured, the question becomes: should the United boss play players on merit?
Martínez is brilliant, but he's also very injury-prone. He's spent several months on the sidelines on multiple occasions across the last few campaigns, and amid his ambitions to go to the World Cup and Heaven's fantastic displays, the youngster should start.
Has Heaven got a shot with England?
The other side of the coin is that, amid England's precarious position with their centre-backs, Heaven must be on their radar as a possible surprise option.
The likes of Harry Maguire, Marc Guéhi, and Ezri Konsa are almost certain to fly, but beyond this, other possible options like John Stones, Dan Burn, and Trevoh Chalobah are either injury prone or on poor form.
While heading to the 2026 World Cup may be just out of reach for Heaven this season, if he were to remain fit and start United's final three games, it is far from out of the question that Thomas Tuchel may sit and think twice about the defender.
With the World Cup still not kicking off for a further six weeks, there is plenty of time for change. If Heaven were to start against Sunderland and play well, his meteoric rise at United could have another twist.