Man United faces Everton with Bruno Fernandes nearing 100 assists, while Szeszko may start for the first time! Maguire remains a key starter.

Aston Villa and Chelsea both dropped points, allowing Man United to consolidate their place in the top four and reduce the distance to third. On Monday night’s trip to Hill Dickinson Stadium against Everton, center-back Harry Maguire is likely to continue as a starter. Despite being taken off with a hamstring problem against West Ham, the 32-year-old English defender has now fully healed. While his replacement, Lenny Yaro, made two crucial interceptions to prevent a second goal for Man United, Maguire remains the more dependable option, especially against opponents with high stamina.

Man United confirmed that Maguire trained normally with his teammates last week, and Carrick has not mentioned any injury concerns, indicating he is fit to continue as a key player. The partnership between Maguire and Lisandro Martínez has been very effective, playing a vital role for the team, with both also contributing offensively during set pieces.

Striker Benjamin Szeszko, who scored the equalizer against West Ham, hopes to earn his first Premier League start under Carrick in this match. He started consecutively in two games under Darren Fletcher’s temporary management, scoring three goals, but has been used as a substitute in all five matches since Carrick took over.

Szeszko has still played an important role, scoring a last-minute winner against Fulham and a stoppage-time equalizer against West Ham. Now, the 22-year-old €85 million striker aims to take a step further and become a regular starter. He may replace either Cunha or Amad Diallo, both of whom were ineffective in the last game.

Before the match, Szeszko publicly praised Carrick, sending a positive message to the coach. “Michael (Carrick) is an amazing person,” Szeszko said. “That means a lot, and he’s also an excellent coach. Not just him, but all the coaches working with him do a fantastic job, providing lots of useful details that help us improve and develop. They also highlight important things to focus on during matches, which is very helpful. They communicate very well, and he and the other coaches are great at it. So, I’m very happy he’s here and proud of what he has achieved.”

Man United captain Bruno Fernandes also has his own target in this match. He has already scored 103 goals and provided 99 assists for the club. One more assist will put him alongside legends Rooney and Giggs in the “100 assists” club!

As the leading assist provider in the 2025/26 Premier League season, it’s only a matter of time before Bruno Fernandes reaches 100 assists. Everton is a favorite opponent of his; the Portuguese midfielder has more goals and assists against Everton than any other Premier League team. In 14 appearances for the Toffees, he has recorded 6 assists and 6 goals. In the last away game at Everton, Bruno scored a free-kick goal at Goodison Park. Now, he hopes to open his account at Everton’s new Hill Dickinson Stadium.

Everton’s manager David Moyes, who coached Carrick during his playing days at Man United, has also highly praised the 44-year-old young coach’s work.

Moyes said: “Man United’s squad hasn’t changed; it’s roughly the same lineup as when Ruben (Amorim) was in charge. Michael has done an excellent job since joining, lifting both players and fans, and the team has been winning consistently. He’s a great professional. I was impressed by his coaching at Middlesbrough. His teams played very well, and I think he’s done a fantastic job. Since taking over Man United, he’s been calm and effective. I also spoke to Michael this summer, mainly about a player and some other matters.”

Everton’s home form this season has been poor, with only four wins, but they managed a 1-0 victory against Amorim’s Man United in the first leg despite being a man down. Moyes recalled: “It feels like a long time ago, but those were important three points. You have to take your chances to win whenever you can.”