Carrick Edges Ahead in Manchester United Manager Race as Club Eyes Derby Day Decision

Michael Carrick has leapfrogged Ole Gunnar Solskjaer in the race to take temporary charge at Manchester United, with the club keen to have a new manager installed before this weekend's Manchester derby.

The Old Trafford hierarchy were weighing up both candidates following Ruben Amorim's exit, with face-to-face meetings held between the two former United men and club executives last week. For much of that period, Solskjaer appeared the frontrunner, but the landscape has shifted dramatically over the past 24 hours.

Carrick, aged 44, now finds himself as the 'leading candidate' according to reports, though United have stopped short of completely ruling out Solskjaer at this stage. The club remains coy about having reached a final decision, yet an announcement is anticipated within the next 48 hours.

Two particular factors are understood to have swung matters in Carrick's favour. Firstly, he has impressed both chief executive Omar Berrada and director of football Jason Wilcox through the appointment process. Secondly—and perhaps crucially—he carries genuine support from within the dressing room. Several current squad members worked alongside Carrick during his time as a member of the coaching staff under Jose Mourinho and Solskjaer, whilst others remember his spell in temporary caretaker charge for matches against Villarreal, Chelsea and Arsenal during the 2021-22 campaign.

The process has been overseen by Wilcox and Berrada, with final approval required from Sir Jim Ratcliffe and the Glazer family. Darren Fletcher, who has stepped into the breach for two games following Amorim's sacking, is being lined up to assist Carrick as part of the coaching setup, with additional support staff likely to be brought in.

Whilst a managerial announcement could theoretically arrive as soon as Monday, sources suggest the timeline may stretch beyond that initial window.