Carrick faces first test as United boss in Manchester derby showdown

MANCHESTER, England, Jan 15 : Michael Carrick will step into the dugout as Manchester United's interim manager for the first time in Saturday's Manchester derby at Old Trafford, tasked with steadying a side that has stumbled through another bleak winter.

United are seventh in the table with one win in their last six league matches and last week's FA Cup exit left the mood flat, but Carrick's arrival, in the wake of Ruben Amorim's sacking, brings a flicker of hope. 

His first challenge? Attempt to outwit Pep Guardiola, whose Manchester City team are six points behind Arsenal and second in the league table, despite three consecutive draws.

There are reasons for optimism at United. Harry Maguire is back fit, and Bryan Mbeumo and Amad Diallo return from Africa Cup of Nations duty, adding depth to a squad that has looked threadbare. 

City arrive with their own narrative twist with January signing Antoine Semenyo stealing the headlines. Two games, two goals, and his own chant from the Etihad faithful, Semenyo has injected a dose of unpredictability into Guardiola's well-oiled machine.

While City's three draws cost them precious points in the title race, their recent form suggests they are rediscovering their ruthless edge, with a 10–1 FA Cup demolition of League One side Exeter City and a 2-0 League Cup semi-final win over Newcastle United on Tuesday.

Guardiola is counting on Omar Marmoush's return from AFCON to shoulder some of the attacking load on "exhausted" Erling Haaland. Marmoush's Egypt lost 1-0 to Senegal in Wednesday's AFCON semi-finals, but City will have to wait for the forward's return until after the tournament's third-place playoff on Saturday.

Haaland, who once again tops the Premier League scoring chart with 20