Sir Jim Ratcliffe and at least one of the Glazer family are at Manchester United’s training base on Thursday to support the interim manager, Michael Carrick, before Saturday’s derby with Manchester City.
United were due to hold an executive committee meeting of senior management at a different location but this was moved to Carrington so that they could speak to Carrick before the first game of his second caretaker tenure.
Ratcliffe and the six Glazer siblings are the majority owners of United. It is thought at least one of Avram and Joel Glazer is at Carrington. Other members of the executive committee include Omar Berrada, the chief executive, and Roger Bell, the chief financial officer.
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Carrick is training the squad for only the second time since his appointment, the 44-year-old’s first session coming on Wednesday. He is relishing taking on City. “The big games, the important games, are what we all live for” Carrick told United’s in-house media.
United are out of the Carabao Cup and FA Cup and not in continental competition so there is only qualification for European football left to play for in Carrick’s 17 league games in charge. With United seventh, he struck a confident note. “There is a lot of talent here,” said Carrick. “And there are a good number of younger players as well, finding their way.”
The defender Lisandro Martínez, who returned from a serious knee injury in late November, has said he considered retirement after sustaining an anterior cruciate ligament injury last February.
“After the first two or three weeks, to tell you the truth, I didn’t want to play football any more,” he told AFA Estudio. “Because I had already suffered the fracture in my foot, then I had the knee and I said: ‘I don’t want to know anything else.’ And then, clearly, one becomes more aware, one starts to have that support … The easy way is to throw in the towel and that’s it. I always say that in the face of adversity, that’s when you show your true personality.”
The 27-year-old said that after a “constant struggle” on the road to recovery, and help from family, friends, physios and a psychologist, he felt physically and mentally better than ever.
