Manchester United will attempt to recover from a damaging opening-day defeat when newly-promoted Ipswich Town visit Old Trafford on Saturday afternoon.

Michael Carrick’s side were surprisingly beaten 2-0 by Hull City last weekend, while Ipswich celebrated their Premier League return with a dramatic 2-1 victory over Sunderland. The Tractor Boys also arrive with momentum from a midweek EFL Cup win, meaning United can expect another difficult examination against promoted opposition.

Carrick needs United to rediscover last season’s momentum

Manchester United’s transformation during the second half of last season made their performance at Hull all the more surprising.

Carrick inherited a team sitting seventh with 32 points from 21 matches in January, before overseeing 12 victories from the remaining 17 league games. That surge carried United to third place, their highest Premier League finish in three years, and restored optimism following two disappointing campaigns.

Their summer preparations offered further encouragement. Andrey Santos, Youri Tielemans and Karl Darlow strengthened the squad before Carlos Baleba became the latest arrival, but none of that translated into the performance expected at the MKM Stadium.

Hull deserved their victory. Semi Ajayi opened the scoring after Senne Lammens had diverted Oli McBurnie’s effort against the post, before club-record signing Nobel Mendy headed in the second.

United registered 21 attempts but the number was deceptive. Carrick’s team struggled to consistently turn possession into clear opportunities and never found the response required after falling behind.

The defeat was historically significant too, representing United’s first loss against promoted opposition on the opening weekend of a Premier League season.

Returning to Old Trafford should provide a different environment, but Carrick has several selection problems. Baleba will have to wait for his debut because of the ankle injury suffered before leaving Brighton, while Tom Heaton, Matthijs de Ligt, Mason Mount and Manuel Ugarte are also unavailable. Ugarte’s injury is particularly serious and could keep him out for the entire campaign.

Changes are therefore possible after the Hull defeat. Marcus Rashford and Kobbie Mainoo are among those pushing for recalls as Carrick searches for greater creativity and urgency.

United cannot afford to underestimate another promoted opponent. After last week’s result, there should be no danger of that.

Ipswich return with far greater belief

Ipswich’s previous Premier League adventure became an exercise in survival almost immediately. They won only four of 38 matches in 2024-25 and finished 19th with 22 points, but Kieran McKenna subsequently guided the club straight back to the top flight by finishing second in the Championship.

McKenna’s decision to step away from management during the summer created another major transition, with former Wolves and Strasbourg boss Gary O’Neil appointed as his successor.

Ipswich responded by spending more than £100m on seven new players, and there were immediate signs against Sunderland that this squad is better equipped for Premier League football than the one relegated two years ago.

Seven summer additions made their debuts as Ipswich secured a 2-1 victory, with former Sunderland winger Jack Clarke coming from the bench to score the 90th-minute winner.

That result already represents progress compared with their previous Premier League campaign, when Ipswich had to wait until November for their first victory.

O’Neil’s encouraging start continued in the EFL Cup on Tuesday. Despite making nine changes, Ipswich beat Leicester City 3-1, with Marcelino Núñez scoring twice, including a spectacular effort from 45 yards.

The extensive rotation means fatigue should not be a major concern at Old Trafford. Dara O’Shea was the only defender retained from the Sunderland victory, while Núñez was another of the few players to start both matches.

Clarke has strengthened his claim for a Premier League start after his decisive contribution last weekend, potentially at the expense of Abdul Fatawu.

O’Neil’s injury list is also considerably shorter than Carrick’s. Azor Matusiwa and Florentino Luís remain unavailable, but the Ipswich manager otherwise has plenty of options.

Verdict: United cannot afford another promoted-team setback

The pressure has changed considerably for Manchester United in the space of one weekend.

Carrick’s excellent work last season created expectations that United could immediately establish themselves among the leading teams again, but the defeat at Hull exposed familiar problems when they were asked to break down organised opposition.

Ipswich will arrive believing they can exploit those weaknesses. O’Neil has overseen consecutive victories, his summer signings have made an immediate impact and the visitors have already demonstrated that they are not returning to the Premier League simply to make up the numbers.

Old Trafford should nevertheless shift the balance towards United. They have not lost any of their last eight home meetings with Ipswich, and Carrick possesses enough attacking quality to produce a reaction after last weekend’s poor display.

It may take patience against an increasingly confident Ipswich side, but United should find a way to secure their first three points of the season.

Tip

Manchester United to win.