Michael Carrick urges England boss Thomas Tuchel to call up Manchester United trio

LONDON – Michael Carrick has urged England manager Thomas Tuchel to give Manchester United trio Harry Maguire, Luke Shaw and Kobbie Mainoo a chance to prove their World Cup credentials.

The German has not picked any United player since taking charge of England in January 2025, with Marcus Rashford selected during his loan spells at Aston Villa and Barcelona.

That remarkable statistic is evidence of United’s decline in recent years, but interim boss Carrick has called on Tuchel to use his stars in the friendlies against Japan and Uruguay later in March.

Centre-back Maguire, 33, has played in three major tournaments and won the last of his 64 caps 18 months ago.

Mainoo made the most recent of his 10 international appearances in the same game that Maguire last played for the Three Lions – a Nations League clash with Ireland in September 2024.

Heralded as a future England regular after starting the Euro 2024 final against Spain, the 20-year-old midfielder fell out of favour at United during Ruben Amorim’s reign.

Left-back Shaw, 30, who also featured in the Euro final loss two years ago and has 34 caps, is another contender to be included when Tuchel names his squad on March 20 for the last friendlies on home soil before the World Cup.

Maguire, Mainoo and Shaw have all started Carrick’s nine matches since replacing Amorim, helping a revitalised United climb to third place ahead of their Premier League trip to Bournemouth on March 20.

“For the boys, I’d love to see them picked for this one and obviously picked for the summer,” Carrick said.

He said he had not “been in touch” with Tuchel over potential England call-ups before the World Cup, which will be hosted by the United States, Mexico and Canada and starts on June 11.

“I don’t have any influence on that but certainly the boys, the way they’re playing, I think they’ve put themselves right in the conversation and right in the picture and given themselves a chance,” he added.

“The boys are definitely playing well enough to warrant a place, for sure. It’s just not my decision so we’ll have to wait and see.”

Tuchel said in August that the absence of United players for so long did not mean there was a bias against the club.

Mainoo’s England absence was understandable given he did not make an EPL start for four months, but the 20-year-old has returned as a key figure under Carrick.

“Of course he can always improve, and on a lot of things, just the age he’s at just for starters,” the Englishman said.

“There’s so much more to come and develop, and that’s just natural. That’s not a negative on Kobbie, by any stretch. That’s just the stage he’s at in his career.

“Not having a lot of football for a period of time, to come in and play a run of games and find your rhythm, I think he did that really quickly.”

As United look towards the future, they are also reportedly in advanced talks to sign Newcastle United captain Bruno Guimaraes for around €80 million (S$117.7 million), but renewed interest from Real Madrid threatens to complicate the proposed move.

Newcastle’s heavy Champions League elimination by Barcelona has paved the way for the Brazilian midfielder’s possible departure, with United targeting the 28-year-old as a replacement for Casemiro, who has already announced he will leave the club.

Casemiro, 34, has personally recommended his countryman as his ideal successor, citing his experience and leadership, according to sources close to the negotiations.

Initial contacts suggested that mutual interest could smoothen the path towards an agreement. However, Real’s sudden move for the midfielder may have altered the landscape significantly.

Guimaraes has long been admired by the Spanish side, dating back to the Carlo Ancelotti era. The Italian coach recommended him three years ago as a successor to Luka Modric and Toni Kroos in Real’s midfield.

That proposed switch, planned for the summer of 2022, was derailed when Newcastle submitted a bid of nearly €50 million in January 2022 to sign him from Lyon, effectively blocking Real’s ambitions.

Four years on, Real are once again monitoring Guimaraes closely amid Eduardo Camavinga’s imminent departure and the club’s search for a commanding presence in midfield next season. AFP, REUTERS