Manchester United's plan for Rashford is set! Carrick admits he is like a new signing and looks forward to four others.

Next week, Carrick is about to start his first full Premier League season as Manchester United manager. Before the season begins, the Red Devils boss had a great day as his daughter achieved the expected A-level grade in her exams. "I am really enjoying my current situation," Carrick said. "On one hand, it's the football itself, including tactical arrangements, training, and team integration; on the other hand, it's being the leader of the team, directing the squad, establishing the right philosophy and code of conduct, so that the club presents the image we want. I never take this position and everything the club gives me for granted."

One difficulty Carrick faces is accepting Rashford, who has returned from Barcelona. As a former teammate, Carrick did not 100% guarantee that Rashford would still be a Manchester United player when the summer window closes on September 1, but he hinted that this might be the final outcome. "Marcus (Rashford) is our player," he repeated. "This is not a special situation at all. We treat him exactly the same as any other player."

Many fans are still resentful of Rashford's indifferent attitude towards Manchester United during his loan spells at Aston Villa and Barcelona, and some of his actions on and off the pitch have also been unsatisfactory. Ironically, the first match for this 28-year-old Red Devils winger wearing his No. 14 jersey was against AC Milan, which is currently managed by Ruben Amorim, who originally wanted to sell him.

Carrick insists that Rashford still has great potential. "The direction of football development varies. To have a career of 10 to 15 years, you must work hard to deal with various challenges. This path will never be smooth; there are ups and downs. But you have to keep moving forward. Looking back all the time does no good to anyone. It's great to have Marcus here this week. He is our player, very strong, and he can bring something different to the team."

The Manchester United boss calls for giving Rashford another chance and believes he can succeed again. "I think ups and downs are normal; this cannot be judged as a one-off. What really matters is long-term performance. Now, as a team, we are in a positive state, and Marcus can bring us a lot of help. He has done it before and can do it again. From this perspective, it is indeed exciting."

Regarding Rashford's situation, Carrick said: "He is a Manchester United player. He returned last Sunday evening, arriving with Kobbie (Mainoo), while Lisandro (Martinez) arrived the next day. Marcus is part of the team like everyone else. He has trained very well since coming back. I have known him for a long time, and my relationship with him is like with some others; I don't treat him specially. But having him back in the team this week makes me very happy, so I have a very positive attitude towards his return."

Carrick revealed the plan for Rashford after returning to the club. To some extent, Rashford is like a new signing for Manchester United, and a new signing who scored 14 goals and provided 14 assists for Barcelona. Carrick believes this will help strengthen Manchester United's strength.

"Our mentality is very calm; we treat him as a newly joined player. Of course, he also has deep feelings for the club, which is an obvious positive factor," Carrick said. "He has spent most of his career at Manchester United, except for the past 18 months or so. He has a deep understanding of what the club means. This is natural and taken for granted."

Carrick added: "I know he has a history, but I have also had cooperative experiences with many other players, so this does not constitute a special situation. I will treat him like any other player. Bringing him back into the team and keeping it running normally can bring positive factors that we currently lack. We hope to achieve this balance with every player, and Marcus has returned and is in good form. His addition is very pleasing."

Besides Rashford, Carrick is also looking forward to the new season for Manchester United captain Bruno Fernandes, young academy star Kobbie Mainoo, and new signings Andre Santos and Youri Tielemans.

He hopes captain Bruno Fernandes will stay at the club: "We want the best players. Every good team has players who can make a significant impact. Bruno has been at Manchester United for a long time. We want to continue working hard to get the best out of Bruno and the team around him. Since I came back, his attitude has been very positive. It's not just about his performance, but also how he gets along with the team, how he leads, and whether he is willing to spend time helping others, especially young players. These factors are important. He is in a very good state now and is looking forward to the upcoming season."

During the World Cup, 21-year-old Mainoo was the only England outfield player who did not get any playing time. Carrick, who experienced the same situation at the 2010 World Cup in South Africa, had a conversation with him. "Since coming back, Kobbie has been performing very well," Carrick said. "I know from the outside, people think it's lucky to be at the World Cup. That's true, but not entirely. As a person, as a professional, you want to play. I've been through that, so I understand how he feels."

Carrick continued: "I talked to him throughout the World Cup, not many times, but we did chat. What did I say to him? You need to cherish the opportunity at the World Cup as much as possible, make the most of it, do the right things, and stay ready at all times. Although it didn't change in the end, he has performed well since returning this week and adapted quickly."

Regarding Tuchel's choices, Carrick said: "Everyone has their own opinion. He has excellent players; that's not for me to decide. What I'm most happy about is that Kobbie is in good form now. I think he realizes that he has returned to where he belongs, ready to have a great season. He will play again on Saturday, which is very pleasing. He is still so young, yet he has achieved so much, and so quickly. To reach his current level is itself a remarkable achievement."

Carrick is very satisfied with the two midfielders Manchester United have already signed, Andre Santos and Youri Tielemans. "Andre (Santos) is so young and already performing so well. His character and personality are simply perfect—a dream player for any coach," Carrick said. "He is very positive, mature and steady, full of fighting spirit, and eager to learn. He immediately tries to help other players and communicates actively during matches. He has a calm personality and deep substance. It's great to have him."

As for Tielemans, Carrick commented: "Youri's performance is obvious; we have seen him play for so long, so everyone knows him well. But that said, role image, personality, presence, and quality are what matter most. Being part of the team, understanding this, and bringing everyone together—I think that is very important. Especially those two midfielders, they will bring us great help and contribute to good results in future matches."

Carrick was a midfielder during his playing days, and he believes this helps him in coaching: "Everyone likes to see different things; people's eyes are naturally drawn to different aspects of the game. Everyone watches the same match but sees slightly different things. As a midfielder, that's how I see the game. This is beneficial because it allows me to gradually build connections with all members of the team. I'm not saying that to be a good coach you must have been a midfielder, but it is to some extent the standard I refer to. The effective methods I have believed in over the years, combined with the style of football fans want to see—I hope they can come together. Of course, the midfield occupies an extremely important position in the teams I have coached and the teams I have been part of, because that's how I see the game."

Manchester United also hopes to bring in another midfielder. Carrick said: "I think we always want to strengthen in every aspect. The key is whether this can make us better, whether it can truly help the team, and in what way it can help us. We cannot do it just to make up numbers—absolutely not."