Manchester United have a full week to go before they return to Premier League action against Everton.

Manchester United’s schedule was pulled into focus this weekend as the Reds continued their extended break due to the FA Cup fourth round. While not ideal at this stage of the campaign, it has allowed Michael Carrick to take a step back and evaluate what has happened over the first few weeks as interim boss.

The first few matches of his tenure could not have gone much better, with four wins and a draw at West Ham to show from his opening five games. But there is always room for improvement and with a full week still to prepare for the trip to the Hill Dickinson Stadium, Carrick has the opportunity to iron things out.

MEN Sport has taken a look at the three priorities that should be on Carrick’s to-do list this week as he looks to continue United’s good run of form.

Try MEN Premium NOW for just £1

New tactical approach

For the first time since Carrick’s return, his tactical approach did not hit the spot in the Reds’ last outing. West Ham, desperate to pick up any points they can at this stage of the season, made life difficult for United as they sat in a low block.

We expected United would dominate the ball against Fulham but that’s not how the game played out. At home to Spurs, United had more of the ball but against ten men it was always going to be easier for them to create attacking opportunities. The trip to the London Stadium was the first time under Carrick where the Reds needed to tweak their approach.

A point was salvaged but United need to find a way of playing against sides who are happy not to have the ball. Everton are unlikely to sit back against the Reds, especially at home, but Carrick will know this is needed in his team’s armoury before opponents become wise to it.

Sesko conundrum

United only managed to avoid disaster against West Ham thanks to the late heroics of Benjamin Sesko. Before Ruben Amorim left, Sesko had just two goals to his name.

Under Darren Fletcher and Carrick, Sesko has bagged a further five goals and he will surely be wondering what more he needs to do to get a start. His goal at West Ham was a sign of his growing confidence and saved the Reds from a disappointing loss.

Ensure our latest sport headlines always appear at the top of your Google Search by making us a Preferred Source. Click here to activate or add us as a Preferred Source in your Google search settings

But with a lack of games this season, Carrick needs to figure out this week whether he should alter his starting line-up and give Sesko a chance or continue to use him from the bench. If he does rotate, it will be the first time he has done that without being forced to because of injuries.

Injury assessments

Speaking of injuries, assessing those injured players will be one of Carrick’s main priorities this week as he weighs up his options. Harry Maguire was pictured training last week after picking up a niggle vs West Ham and while Patrick Dorgu will be out again, questions remain over Matthijs de Ligt.

He has not played since last year and his injury, which was deemed not serious art the time, has become a costly one for the Dutchman. Maguire and Lisandro Martinez have performed well in recent weeks but De Ligt’s form prior to his injury shows how crucial he can be.

Before West Ham, Carrick said: “Matthijs, we’ll see how he develops, the Everton game feels like a long time away at the moment, so we’ll see how he develops, but he’s positive, he’s moving in the right direction.” The interim boss will hope this extended break has pushed him closer to a return.

Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola was asked about Rodri being charged by the FA for his comments on referees.

Pep Guardiola suggested that Manchester City will accept any punishment Rodri faces from the FA for comments he made about referees after the Spurs game. However, the City boss also made apparent what he thinks about the charge in a season where he has spoken increasingly about the decisions that they feel have gone against them.

Rodri has until Wednesday to respond to allegations from the FA that he ‘acted in an improper manner during a post-match media interview by making comments that imply bias and/or question the integrity of a match official and/or match officials, contrary to FA Rule 3.1’. The Ballon d’Or winner had been frustrated after City threw away a two-goal lead at Tottenham that began when Dominic Solanke appeared to kick Marc Guehi’s leg to propel the ball into the net.

“I know we won too much and the people don’t want us to win but the referee has to be neutral and, for me, honestly, it’s not fair. It’s not fair because we work so hard in these situations and now to make these decisions, we have to move on,” said Rodri.

FOLLOW OUR MAN CITY FACEBOOK PAGE! Latest news and analysis via the MEN’s Manchester City Facebook page

“Of course you need to come back but at the end, when everything is finished, we are frustrated because it’s so clear the foul. He kicked the leg and of course with the push of the action on the ball, the ball goes in. We have to pay attention to these little things otherwise it’s going to be difficult for everyone because this league is like this – it’s about small details and everything counts, so I think today is a very tough day for us in this sense.”

Guardiola said publicly that he thought it should have been a foul on Guehi but he did not talk about neutrality or fairness when criticising. Because Rodri did, he could face a ban; Jurgen Klopp was given a one-match ban plus one suspended game when he was charged under the same rule in 2023.

An independent panel will rule on Rodri’s case after he has had the chance to say anything he wants to. It remains to be seen how City react to any outcome, but Guardiola made clear his feelings about what the club will do.

Buy Carabao Cup Final VIP tickets

This article contains affiliate links, we will receive a commission on any sales we generate from it. Learn more

From £1,599

Seat Unique

Buy tickets here

The Carabao Cup Final will see Arsenal v Manchester City at London’s Wembley Stadium this March.

Advertisement

“We will absolutely respect the decision from the FA,” he said. “We accept everything when the big hierarchies decide how we have to behave and what we have to do.”

Ensure our latest sport headlines always appear at the top of your Google Search by making us a Preferred Source. Click here to activate or add us as Preferred Source in your Google search settings

The mistake may be to see it through the lens of the continental superpowers. The Champions League’s knockout phase play-offs could perhaps do with a punchier name than Uefa’s unwieldy tag. For those who assume their destination is much deeper into the tournament, it can seem a punishment, an unwanted extra couple of fixtures jammed into February.

Yet for many of its participants, it is an opportunity. Under the previous format, some were unaccustomed to Champions League football after Christmas. Those seeded third or fourth faced an uphill task to qualify from their pool. The fact that there were only 16 slots available in the knockout round, and the reality that most went to clubs from the same four domestic leagues, restricted the chances for everyone else.

While five English clubs secured the top-eight finishes to skip the recent addition to the Champions League schedule, now it is not about them anyway. It is about Qarabag and Bodo/Glimt, who have overachieved to get this far, and Benfica who progressed in remarkable fashion. Uefa can note that the 16 teams in action come from 11 different countries, that they have expanded the map; their critics might argue that those at home next week, and likelier to progress, are all from Spain, Italy, France, England or Germany.

The competition may have more predictability than last year, when the first 36-team table produced some incongruous sights – Lille above Real Madrid, Atalanta above Bayern Munich, PSV above PSG, Brest above Manchester City – but not as much as feared. The knockout phase play-offs in their sophomore season features both of last season’s finalists, Paris Saint-Germain and Inter Milan, plus the competition’s most successful club ever, in Real Madrid.

Of the 16 clubs playing now, a dozen should see it as a reward. A quartet could have regrets they are not skipping this round: Real, who only needed a draw against Benfica to get a top-eight finish; Atletico Madrid, who lost at home to Bodo/Glimt last month; PSG, who only took two points from their last three matches, against Athletic Bilbao, Sporting CP and Newcastle; and Inter, who won their first four games but lost the next three. For each, it could, and probably should, have been different.

open image in gallery

For most of those placed between ninth and 24th, the table either had a realism about their place in the pecking order or showed a capacity to surprise supposed superiors. Benfica did it most dramatically three weeks ago: the goalscoring goalkeeper Anatoliy Trubin’s 98th-minute header took them through at Marseille’s expense and earns them an immediate reunion with Real. For Jose Mourinho, it is a rematch with Alvaro Arbeloa, once his right-back, now a rookie manager; the master outwitting the apprentice or the Portuguese’s farewell to the Champions League?

It is arguably the most eye-catching tie of the round; there may be nothing as obviously seismic as Real and City, the previous two winners, clashing at this stage last year, but that is in part because none of the biggest of guns finished between 17th and 24th.

open image in gallery

Advertisement

But Inter are off to the Arctic Circle to face Bodo, fresh from their double of beating City and Atletico. A first leg in Istanbul comes laced with peril for Juventus as they meet Galatasaray. Eddie Howe admitted Newcastle did not want the lengthy trek to Azerbaijan after they drew Qarabag. On geographical grounds, he would have preferred Monaco. They instead are paired with PSG, who got a 10-0 aggregate thrashing of Ligue 1 rivals last year when they demolished Brest.

The tie that looks most even, and where there is the greatest reason to pronounce the side who finished lower in the standings and who are away in the second leg the favourites, is between the 2024 finalists Borussia Dortmund and Atalanta. They were 17th and 15th in the standings, separated by only two points. Dortmund scored nine more goals and had arguably the harder fixture list.

Atalanta can also testify to the drama of the new phase. A reason why Uefa are entitled to view the inaugural knockout play-off phase as a considerable success came in the games last year. Bayern required a 94th-minute goal by Alphonso Davies to deny Celtic extra time at the Allianz Arena and perhaps avert a major shock.

open image in gallery

Advertisement

There were arguably still three upsets – even if one resulted in the team that came lower in the league stage losing – and all at the expense of Italian clubs. Juventus were knocked out 4-3 by PSV Eindhoven. AC Milan went out 2-1 to Feyenoord. Atalanta’s elimination was most emphatic, 5-2 on aggregate to Club Brugge, and, in terms of the table, the greatest surprise: ninth lost to 24th.

Brugge had only just made it into the play-offs; the celebrations of their supporters in a corner of the Etihad Stadium after their last league match against City showed what a feat that felt to the Belgian club. Perhaps this round was devised with their ilk in mind. Last year, the knockout play-offs still produced the eventual Champions League winners, in PSG. Like Real and Inter, they may imagine a repeat. These two weeks are a final of sorts for Brugge, Benfica, Bodo and Qarabag, yet maybe not the end of their journey around Europe.

The battle to make the NCAA Tournament is in full swing.

Several teams from the Mountain West, Big Ten, and WCC are directly on the Bubble.

At this point, only four programs from the West can realistically be considered locks.

The rest are one bad loss away from being out of the projected field or out of contention entirely.

Here’s how I view the Top 10 College Basketball Teams in the West with four weeks to go until Selection Sunday.

Miller covers College Basketball and College Football as well as Formula 1 racing as a Senior Writer and Assistant Editor for SuperWest Sports.

Latest posts by Dane Miller (see all)

• 
  

  Dane Miller’s Week 15 Best-in-West Hoops Power Rankings

  > How the region’s best teams stack up across the Big 12, Big Ten, ACC, MW, Pac-12, and WCC – February 16, 2026

• 
  

  Dane Miller’s Week 14 Best-in-West Hoops Power Rankings

  > How the region’s best teams stack up across the Big 12, Big Ten, ACC, MW, Pac-12, and WCC – February 9, 2026

• 
  

  Dane Miller’s Week 13 Best-in-West Hoops Power Rankings

  > How the region’s best teams stack up across the Big 12, Big Ten, ACC, MW, Pac-12, and WCC – February 1, 2026

Nadal backs youth and momentum

Nadal said Alcaraz’s physical edge and current form made him the frontrunner for the title, even while acknowledging the unique challenge posed by Djokovic at Melbourne Park.

Speaking to host broadcaster Channel Nine, Nadal said Alcaraz’s age, energy and prime condition tilted the balance in his favour. At the same time, he underlined Djokovic’s exceptional ability to rise to the occasion, particularly in Australian Open finals, where the Serb has built a formidable record.

From Nadal’s perspective, the contest represented a classic clash of eras, with Alcaraz carrying the momentum of the new generation and Djokovic continuing to defy age.

‘Novak is still very competitive’

In a separate interaction with The Melbourne Age, Nadal described it as encouraging for the sport that Djokovic remains competitive against players such as Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner at this stage of his career.

Nadal suggested Djokovic’s presence at the top reflected his commitment and resilience, adding that longevity at that level should be viewed positively rather than as an anomaly. The Spaniard, who is a year older than Djokovic, indicated that sustained fitness is often the defining factor at that age.

He said Djokovic’s continued success was built on discipline and competitiveness, qualities that have allowed him to remain a central figure in men’s tennis despite the rise of younger challengers.

Final unfolds as Nadal watches on

As Nadal’s assessment circulated, the final itself remained finely poised. Djokovic had taken the first set, asserting his authority early, while Alcaraz was digging deep in the second to stay in contention.

Whether Nadal’s prediction would hold true remained to be seen, but his comments captured both the respect Djokovic commands and the expectation surrounding Alcaraz as the leading force of the current generation.

Racing fans can still secure their spot at Cheltenham Festival 2026 with tickets on sale now from £54 – here’s everything you need to know about prices, dates and where to buy

The Cheltenham Festival 2026 is fast approaching and racing enthusiasts can book their places now. In under a month, Cheltenham Racecourse will once again welcome four days of racing, refreshments, cuisine and entertainment.

Running from March 10-13, there will be 28 races spanning Champion Day, Ladies Day, St Patrick’s Thursday and Gold Cup Day. Key fixtures include the Unibet Champion Hurdle and the Boodles Cheltenham Gold Cup Steeple Chase.

For racing devotees who haven’t yet purchased their ticket, there remains a wide selection available, ranging from general admission through to more luxurious VIP and hospitality packages. Early bird tickets for the festival became available last year, but attendees can still make savings by securing their ticket in advance.

Here’s everything you need to know about obtaining Cheltenham Festival tickets now.

Tickets for the Cheltenham Festival 2026 are available now and attendees can dodge the on-the-gate charges by purchasing their tickets beforehand. Official outlets include The Jockey Club, which offers various ticket options for each day of the meeting.

Prices presently begin at £54 per person for the Best Mate Enclosure, positioned directly opposite the main grandstand and next to the finish line. A reserved seat in the Grandstand is priced at £210 per person, offering what’s described as ‘one of the finest views’ in racing.

For those wishing to indulge, VIP and hospitality tickets for each day of the races are currently available at Seat Unique. Prices start from £799 for the Champions Club Restaurant, which includes a four-course meal and complimentary bar, as well as a viewing box with a view of the racecourse.

More luxurious experiences include The Privilege Suite, hosted by football legends Alan Brazil and Ray Parlour. In addition to a club enclosure admission badge, this package offers a VIP hostess service and celebrity tipster, along with food, drinks, and a range of other perks, all for £1,585 per person.

Some tickets have already surfaced on resale platforms such as viagogo and StubHub, where fans can sell their tickets if they’re unable to attend. Prices fluctuate daily, sometimes significantly higher or lower than face value, but fortunate buyers might stumble upon a bargain.

Cheltenham Festival 2026.

The Cheltenham Festival 2026 kicks off on Tuesday, March 10, and runs until Friday, March 13. Gates open at 10.30am each day of the festival, with the first race starting at 1.20pm and the final one at 5.20pm.

Full race schedule – dates and times.

Day 1: Champion Day – Tuesday, March 10.

1.20pm – The Sky Bet Supreme Novices’ Hurdle (Grade 1).

2.00pm – The Singer Arkle Novices’ Chase (Grade 1).

2.40pm – The McCoys Contracts Juvenile Handicap Hurdle (Premier Handicap).

3.20pm – The Ultima Handicap Chase (Premier Handicap).

4.00pm – The Unibet Champion Hurdle (Grade 1).

4.40pm – The TrustATrader Plate Handicap Chase (Premier Handicap).

5.20pm – The Princess Royal National Hunt Novices’ Handicap Chase.

Day 2: Ladies Day – Wednesday, March 11.

1.20pm – The Turners Novices’ Hurdle (Grade 1).

2.00pm – The Brown Advisory Novices’ Chase (Grade 1).

2.40pm – The Coral Cup Handicap Hurdle (Premier Handicap).

3.20pm – The Glenfarclas Cross Country Handicap Chase.

4.00pm – The BetMGM Queen Mother Champion Chase (Grade 1).

4.40pm – The Debenhams Johnny Henderson Grand Annual Handicap Chase (Premier Handicap).

5.20pm – The Weatherbys Champion Bumper (Grade 1).

Day 3: St Patrick’s Thursday – Thursday, March 12.

1.20pm – The Ryanair Mares’ Novices’ Hurdle (Grade 2).

2.00pm – The Jack Richards Novices’ Limited Handicap Chase (Grade 2).

2.40pm – The Close Brothers Mares’ Hurdle (Grade 1).

3.20pm – The Paddy Power Stayers’ Hurdle (Grade 1).

4.00pm – The Ryanair Chase (Grade 1).

4.40pm – The Pertemps Network Final Handicap Hurdle (Premier Handicap).

5.20pm – The Rosconn Group Fulke Walwyn Kim Muir Amateur Jockeys’ Handicap Chase.

Day 4: Gold Cup Day – Friday, March 13.

1.20pm – The JCB Triumph Hurdle (Grade 1).

2.00pm – The William Hill County Handicap Hurdle (Premier Handicap).

2.40pm – The Mrs Paddy Power Mares’ Chase (Grade 2).

3.20pm – The Albert Bartlett Novices’ Hurdle (Grade 1).

4.00pm – The Boodles Cheltenham Gold Cup (Grade 1).

4.40pm – The Festival Challenge Cup Open Hunters’ Chase.

5.20pm – The Martin Pipe Conditional Jockeys’ Handicap Hurdle.

American speedskater Brandon Kim attempted to get Team USA into the finals of the short track 500-meter event at the Winter Olympics on Monday, but was involved in an unfortunate incident.

Kim was racing against the Netherlands’ Jens van ‘t Wout, Ukraine’s Oleh Handei and Uzbekistan’s Daniil Eybog in the seventh heat. As the group was coming around one of the first turns, Kim, Handei and Eybog all crashed. Van ‘t Wout ended up finishing ahead of the three.

CLICK HERE FOR MORE SPORTS COVERAGE ON FOXNEWS.COM

Brandon Kim of the United States, Oleh Handei of Ukraine and Daniil Eybog of Uzbekistan crash into the barrier in the heats during the men’s 500 meter short track speed skating at the 2026 Winter Olympics, in Milan, Italy, Monday, Feb. 16, 2026.  (AP Photo/Bernat Armangue)

Kim was penalized and did not complete a lap in the race.

The Virginia native was competing in his first Winter Olympics for Team USA. He was a star on the junior circuit as he picked up a bronze in the World Junior Championships in 2017.

Kim was also disqualified from the short track 1,000-meter heats last week. Van ‘t Wout won the gold in the event.

OLYMPIC SKI JUMPER DISQUALIFIED FROM EVENT OVER BOOT SIZE

Brandon Kim of the United States, Oleh Handei of Ukraine and Daniil Eybog of Uzbekistan crash in the heats during the men’s 500 meter short track speed skating at the 2026 Winter Olympics, in Milan, Italy, Monday, Feb. 16, 2026.  (AP Photo/Bernat Armangue)

Team USA still has hopes to medal in the 500-meter event as Andrew Heo had the fastest time in his heat with a time of 41.136.

The Americans have found the podium hard to get to in this year’s Olympics. Going into Monday, Team USA has attained 17 total medals but only five gold.

CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE FOX NEWS APP

Brandon Kim of the United States competes in the men’s 1000 meter short track speed skating heats at the 2026 Winter Olympics, in Milan, Italy, Tuesday, Feb. 10, 2026.  (AP Photo/Stephanie Scarbrough)

Team USA finished with 25 total medals when the 2022 Beijing Olympics came to an end. The team won nine gold, nine silver and seven bronze that year.

Follow Fox News Digital’s sports coverage on X and subscribe to the Fox News Sports Huddle newsletter.

Where: Pallekele International Cricket Stadium

Probable XI: Mitchell Marsh (c), Travis Head, Josh Inglis (wk), Cameron Green, Tim David, Matt Renshaw, Marcus Stoinis, Xavier Bartlett, Nathan Ellis, Adam Zampa, Matt Kuhnemann

Probable XI: Pathum Nissanka, Kamil Mishara/Kusal Perera, Kusal Mendis (wk), Pavan Rathnayake, Kamindu Mendis, Dasun Shanaka (c), Dushan Hemantha, Dunith Wellalage, Dushmantha Chameera, Maheesh Theekshana, Matheesha Pathirana

What they said ahead of the match:

“What I really like about this bunch and the entire 24 who I’ve worked with in the last three months is their ability to learn, willing to get better. There are a lot of positives.” – R Sridhar on Sri Lanka players

“The boys are pretty disappointed with the result [against Zimbabwe], but we’ve got no one to blame but ourselves and obviously Zimbabwe played really well.” – Marcus Stoinis