Michael Carrick

Manchester United have sorely missed Michael Carrick in the last few weeks. The midfielder suffered an ankle injury after the 1-0 win over Arsenal. He has been missing in the last few matches, which have contributed to the dip in form for United.

As a result, United find themselves outside the top four and increasingly away from the title race. However, manager David Moyes has confirmed that the player is close to returning to first-team action and he may have him back for the Christmas fixtures.

Manchester United have managed to extend the contract of midfielder Michael Carrick by two more years along with the option of 12 months. The former Tottenham star was going to the end of his contract in a few months time.

However, there was no urgency on the part of the club because he has revealed on several occasions that he would stay at United. Carrick has been an important part of the United team over the last few years, but his stature has grown after the retirement of Paul Scholes.

The management changes at the clubs expected to vie for this season’s Premier League title – Chelsea, Manchester City and Manchester United- makes the issue of which one will win it all the more intriguing.

However for those keen on football betting, they also make it harder to predict. The bookmakers have made City the early season favourites, but even they recognise that there seems little to divide the teams, as you can get very low odds (2/1, 3/1) on City and Chelsea at some sites. So are there any indicators that could help you decide who to wager on?

Manchester United striker Wayne Rooney recently turned 28 years of age, which many regard to be the prime of a footballer. This is usually the age where a footballer is at the peak of his powers after having gained all the knowledge the past decade as a youngster.

Rooney is considered as one of the deadliest strikers in the world. This led to many clubs like Chelsea and Paris St Germain showing an interest in his services when he revealed his desire to move away from Manchester United in the summer. Ultimately, the club decided not to sell him despite his wish to do so.

Wigan Athletic's James McArthur has said that the Scottish national team should be wary of the threat from Michael Carrick, who he thinks is one of the best players in England right now. Former Tottenham star Carrick helped Manchester United win the league title last season.

He almost went unnoticed as he won the club's player of the year award. He was also nominated in the PFA award list as well. Carrick will be in the midfield of England when they take on Scotland in a friendly match at the new Wembley stadium.

Next season’s Premier League is already gearing up to be a classic with a title race, the contest for fourth place and relegation battles all completely unpredictable at this stage. While the three top clubs have all changes managers, Arsenal, Spurs and Liverpool maintain their solidity. The lower-lying clubs have begun spending and are primed to push this contest to the final day of the season, so what are the best bets out there?

Michael Carrick, who almost managed to be a surprise win at the PFA awards last season, has backed his teammate Wayne Rooney to deliver the goods for the England national team in Brazil when they take on the hosts of the 2014 World Cup in a friendly match.

England also have a couple of important matches over the course of the month before the new season starts. Rooney has been disappointing for England since coming on as a potential star back in the Euro 2004. He is widely rumoured to be looking for a move away from Manchester United.

Manchester United have been one of the few clubs to have a long history in European football. It has made their European nights even more special, which is also the opinion of the midfielder Michael Carrick as well.

The Manchester United midfielder Michael Carrick has said that his teammates should be remaining calm ahead of the crucial Manchester derby this weekend.

This is one of the important matches played between the two clubs as it could have a huge say in the destination of the Premier league title. The former Tottenham midfielder has been one of the impressive performers for Sir Alex Ferguson's men this season. United have conceded a lot of goals this season, but they have also been breathtaking in attack. As a result, they sit top of the table going into the Manchester derby.

While there was some doubt over the signing of Shinji Kagawa during the summer, many supporters have now warmed to the Japanese international following several eye-catching performances. However, even though he has made a positive impression on the Premier League, Kagawa insists that he is not completely satisfied with the start he has made in Manchester and says that he needs to improve.