Leeds United

Leeds boss Daniel Farke gave an update on Ilian Gruev, who has been sidelined since May with a knee injury: "After this long-term injury it was important to get his first minutes in the under-21 game. He played nearly 90 minutes, it was good for his confidence and his body. He is available for the weekend."

However, Farke also confirmed Harry Wilson has picked up an injury which rules him out: "Sadly Harry Wilson is out for this game with a quad injury. He reported some problems after the last game and also during this training week. He will probably also miss the Welsh games so not good news for him."

Farke added that Joe Rodon remains out, while, "all the other players are available".

And now onto high-flyers Leeds, third in the table.

Fulham

Fulham boss Alvaro Arbeloa was also asked how close he thinks Josh King is to a senior England call-up: "So I'm not the coach of the England national team but I think Josh is ready. The way that he's performing, I don't see too many players like him in this league.

"He's just 19 years old but the way that he's playing with the talent that he has and obviously he's a really hard-working player. He's making a difference and I think he has the level to be in the national squad."

Image source, Getty Images

Fulham

Fulham boss Alvaro Arbeloa on team news: "Tom [Cairney] is still recovering. We need to see if Sess [Ryan Sessegnon] is available for Sunday. I think he will be training with us today and we will have to make a decision."

He also confirmed Kenny Tete is not available [concussion protocol].

Arbeloa added: "I believe next week he will be ready for the international break but unfortunately he is not ready for Sunday."

Image source, Getty Images

Fulham

Fulham boss Alvaro Arbeloa on Manchester United boss Michael Carrick being under pressure: "Every Premier League manager is under pressure, it's the same for every manager and it's not because [of] what comes from outside it’s because you have to be really demanding from yourself.

"All the managers, we want to win every weekend and for sure when you are a coach of a big team you are always under pressure but same for me because I need to win games. I think both teams will want to win the game on Sunday, so it's going to be a good battle."

Our next news conference is Fulham, Manchester United's opponents on Sunday.

Fulham have just one point from their first four Premier League fixtures - a 0-0 draw at Anfield.

And that's all from Michael Carrick who says Luke Shaw and Carlos Baleba may feature against Fulham.

Have your say Manchester United fans.

Manchester United

Manchester United boss Michael Carrick on JJ Gabriel: "I’ll just repeat what I said the other day. He’s a young boy, it’s important we don’t play anything out here, the exposure and scrutiny we have to be careful, be sensible and think of him as much as anything. The situation will work itself out. Making sure he's OK is an important thing."

Image source, Getty Images

Manchester United

Manchester United boss Michael Carrick on belief: "We’ve got to put things in perspective, it’s not a catastrophe or a disaster, it's not the end of the world. We're not in a place where we have gone on an awful long run of horrific results.

"We’ve lost a couple of games recently. We feel we’ve started and been in all the games we’ve played, we’re not having a real struggle all the time. We’ve done a lot of good things, the belief comes from that. The good things we’ve done gets lose in the surrounding feeling but they don’t get lost by us."

Image source, Getty Images

Manchester United

Manchester United boss Michael Carrick on the Stretford End boos on Wednesday: "We don’t like losing football matches, it’s not that I don’t feel the emotion of losing football matches, but it doesn’t affect how I think about what we need to do next. That is the most important thing."

On whether he feels he needs to show emotion: "I need to show more emotion? In what way? What do you want me to show?"

Image source, Getty Images

Manchester United

Manchester United boss Michael Carrick on taking responsibility: "That’s why I’m here. It’s my responsibility, I’m fine with that. It’s not a blame game. We always search for things to look at and find the blame, sometimes it gets too much.

"Blame me, it’s no problem, I'll take the responsibility, but it’s not about blaming people. It’s about finding solutions. It’s a whole collective thing. It’s about what you focus on really. I’m totally happy taking responsibility. No problem with that, it doesn't bother me. I know where we want to go and we want to get there fast."

Image source, Getty Images

Manchester United

Manchester United boss Michael Carrick on judgement of football owners: "I think it will be a lot longer than one or two games of results. Taking away all that, It’s irrelevant for me, I know the club, I know the role, I know what’s expected here in terms of playing at a certain standard. I get all that.

"In terms of future and ownership and how long I’ve got, it’s totally nothing, it’s ridiculous to think that way in the position I’m in, it’s just not on the radar. I understand the things we need to achieve and where we are as a football club.

"It’s two or three games we haven’t had certain results. Two or three games too many because I hate losing but that doesn't mean the world caves in. We’ve got to perform and we’ve got a lot of games to plan for. That is exactly what we are doing."

Manchester United

Manchester United boss Michael Carrick on team news, Luke Shaw and Carlos Baleba: "There is a chance on both of them. Not totally 100% but there is a chance.

On Shaw: "It is really short-term to be honest but it is just working towards the game so we will see how he is coming up to the weekend."

Manchester United

Manchester United boss Michael Carrick on his comments earlier this week about stopping the feeling around the team: "It wasn’t a feeling around the team, it was around everywhere else, it wasn't a feeling about us. It’s the general feeling we just spoke about that can create, that can’t knock us off track or refocus or think about things we don’t control.

"It’s about trusting what we do and what we’re good at. Keep doing things that will win us games It’s fine, fine margins. Everything escalates from there. We live in a world of instant reaction and judgment but it’s not in my world. Being realistic and understanding this would come, being ready for it learning about each other is reality important and building on it for what's to come."

Image source, Getty Images

Manchester United

Manchester United boss Michael Carrick on whether it always feels like a great football club: "Yes, 100% yes it does. I wouldn’t want to be anywhere else, it’s the best place for me to be. Part of the times when it’s not going to plan it’s the best times to work through, find out a few things and come out stronger. It’s a period of time where small things that become big things for other people.

"The key for us it to stay focused, stay on track, understanding it can happen, as much as we don't like it. The fact it’s happened in the first cluster of the season it’s maybe seen a little bit different. But I was expecting a spell we had to work through. We are in that now and we will find our way through."

Manchester United

Manchester United boss Michael Carrick spoke about pressure on others: "That’s my role as well, take care of myself, looking after myself but a lot of other people that I can help influence as well, it’s the beauty of being here at this football club. There are great times, there's things you can achieve and great feelings and there’s disappointments as well. Sometimes its the small disappointments that lead to something a bit bigger. It’s part of coping and being at this great football club."

Image source, Getty Images

Manchester United

Manchester United boss Michael Carrick on what he has learnt this week: "We are always learning, as a group, individually, as a collective, we’re always learning. It was at some point in time you’re trying to build towards something it’s not always going to go perfect, not always going to go to plan.

"History tells you that any team that’s successful goes through periods when you have to work through it, come through it and improve. We’ve had a small period, in recent time, when it hasn’t been exactly what we want it to be. I was expecting a point when we would go through it, it was going to come. We had such a good spell last season, going into this season.

"There was going to be a time when you don’t get everything out of it what you wanted. It’s how you work through it, how you react, staying focused, keep doing the right things, staying level and believe you will come through it. Which we fully believe that, it is a week or two the games haven't gone our way. It’s tiny margins in some of those games. We will work through it. Winning games is always the answer, it can cover up a lot of things at times as well."

On whether he is confident they can get through it: "Yeah, yeah."

Chris Adams
BBC Sport journalist

The only out-and-out centre-forward at Carrick’s disposal, Benjamin Sesko, has been used as a substitute in the four league games so far, scoring once off the bench against Everton.

With his team drawing blanks in two of those four games, there are calls for the Slovenia striker to start at Fulham, having netted a stoppage-time winner against the same opposition at Old Trafford last season.

The Red Devils have had more shots than any other top-flight side across the first four matchdays of this season, with only Brighton (10.2) accumulating a higher xG than United’s 8.3.

Although Sesko struggled to make an impact midweek against Brighton, he is fully recovered from the shin injury he sustained in early May, so Carrick may turn to the club’s joint-top scorer from last season in the hope he can convert some of the many shots United are creating

Simon Stone
BBC Sport Manchester United reporter

Michael Carrick likes to project a calm persona.

It is one of the reasons why he was an attractive option for Manchester United to step into the head coach role on a temporary basis following the dismissal of Ruben Amorim in January.

He said he was ‘not bothered’ by the pressure coming on him following the 3-2 EFL Cup defeat by Brighton on Wednesday.

What he definitely is bothered about is the fact United have lost their last two games in alarming fashion, have only collected four points from their first four games and look a shadow of the side that secured a return to the Champions League with 12 wins in his 17 games in charge last term.

Fulham away comes up on Sunday, followed by a three-week international break, and Carrick needs to come up with some answers.

Will he have any when he speaks to the media? It will be interesting to see how relaxed he is for a start.

Image source, Getty Images

Manchester United travel to Fulham on Sunday with both sides in desperate need of a win going into the lengthy international break.

The Red Devils, who were dumped out of the League Cup by Brighton and Hove Albion on Wednesday, have won just one of their opening four Premier League games this season to leave them 13th, already eight points adrift of the early pace-setters Arsenal and Manchester City.

The Brighton defeat rounded off a difficult few days for United head coach Michael Carrick, whose side were insipid in the Manchester derby loss to 10-man City last Sunday.

Throw in the uncertainty over academy star JJ Gabriel’s future and Carrick is in dire need of three points on the road in west London.

The good news for him is that United’s recent record against Fulham is outstanding; they’ve lost just once in the past 21 league meetings between the two sides, winning 16 and drawing four.