Lima Expected to Return Against Newcastle! Manchester United Could Secure Top Five with a Win, Carrick May Adjust Starting Lineup

The Premier League is entering a critical stage, with most sides now down to their last 10 games. Following Sunday's 2-1 comeback victory over Crystal Palace, Manchester United maintained their unbeaten record since Carrick's appointment and climbed to third place in the standings, tied on points with Aston Villa but leading on goal difference. This midweek, United will play their last midweek match of the campaign, away at Newcastle United's St James' Park.

This will be a vital match. Manager Carrick and captain Bruno Fernandes have reiterated their desire to return to the Champions League next season, and the Red Devils are now in a strong position to achieve that goal. A win over Newcastle would bring them significantly closer to securing that objective.

With England far ahead in UEFA's coefficient rankings, it appears the top five teams in the Premier League will qualify for next season's Champions League. Chelsea, who lost 2-1 to Arsenal over the weekend and sit sixth, are now six points behind Manchester United.

That gap could widen soon, as Chelsea visit Aston Villa this midweek, meaning at least one of those two teams will drop points. If United defeat Newcastle and Villa beat Chelsea, Carrick's side could lead the sixth-placed team by at least eight points—especially if Brentford defeat Bournemouth and overtake a losing Chelsea.

Liverpool, currently fifth and three points behind United, are on a three-match winning streak after comfortably beating West Ham 5-2 last Saturday, following narrow victories over Sunderland and Nottingham Forest. Slot's team travels to bottom-placed Wolves on Tuesday; Wolves, who defeated Villa last week for their second win of the season, will naturally be hoped by United to pose a challenge to their rivals again under coach Rob Edwards.

However, a Liverpool win would increase the pressure on Villa. They won the reverse fixture thanks to Ollie Watkins' brace, at a time when Villa were still considered contenders alongside Arsenal and Manchester City. But they have taken only 12 points from their subsequent 10 matches and are now level on points with United.

Chelsea, after a strong start under Liam Rosenior, have recently hit a rough patch with three winless games. Their schedule remains tough until late April, with upcoming home matches against Newcastle, Manchester City, and United.

Therefore, United's next two matches against Newcastle and Villa are crucial; positive results could solidify their top-three position. However, the away trip to the 'Magpies' will be far from easy, as the Red Devils have suffered three consecutive defeats at St James' Park in recent seasons.

It's also worth noting that Villa, Brentford, and Everton have all taken three points at St James' Park this year, giving Carrick confidence that his team can do the same. Before January 14th, Newcastle were above United in the table, but after Carrick took charge with 6 wins and 1 draw in 7 games, United have overtaken them by 15 points!

Carrick has rarely changed his starting lineup since taking over, but Wednesday's match might force an exception. Not only do in-form scorers Sesko and Cunha need to compete with Amad Diallo for a starting spot, but injuries to defenders Luke Shaw and Harry Maguire could also affect team selection.

Luke Shaw went down after just 24 minutes against Crystal Palace and was immediately substituted. Carrick stated post-match that the 30-year-old England left-back was not injured, merely unwell. However, before coming off, Shaw did suffer a stamp from Palace right-back Daniel Muñoz.

Thus, it wouldn't be a surprise if Mazraoui makes his first start under Carrick at left-back. Although Shaw has started all 28 Premier League matches this season, his reputation as "injury-prone" means it's not worth risking him while carrying a knock. Mazraoui impressed after replacing Shaw against Palace, with a 93% pass success rate and winning all his aerial duels.

The 32-year-old Harry Maguire was substituted in the 85th minute for Eeden Heaven. According to British media reports, Argentine center-back Lisandro Martínez could return for the Newcastle trip. Carrick said last Friday that Martínez's comeback is "a matter of days."

Carrick said: "Patrick (Doku)'s recovery is a bit slower than Mount's and will take a few more weeks, but he's progressing well. Lisandro is much further along than Patrick. Hopefully, he'll be back within days, not too long. We'll assess him over the next day or two and see how it goes. Mount is also getting closer to the end of his recovery, with De Ligt slightly behind him. But we'll do everything we can to get all players back as soon as possible."