Michael Carrick explains biggest challenge to Man Utd squad

“It’s such a difficult thing to call because it’s unprecedented, this situation,“ he adds. ”We’re using our experience and obviously, we’re using the experts to judge it.

“Even coming back for pre-season, some of the lads come back and they’re flying, whereas some lads you don’t see them until September; it can take five or six games to get started.

“Every club is going to be in that situation and it’s a balance. It’s the prevention of injuries as well. You can’t expect them to be training on their own at home and then, in a short space of time, expect them to play in a Premier League game. That’s the concern, probably not the fitness levels, it’s the injury prevention.

“Primarily, we’re talking about getting back to fitness and playing games, but also it’s about if they’re okay [psychologically],” Carrick says. 

“Like all of us, you want to make sure your friends and families are okay. They players are, obviously, part of our family and we want to make sure that, as humans, they’re alright and then the sport and the lifestyle can come after that.”

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