Ahead of Manchester United's home match against Ipswich Town in the Premier League, manager Carrick spoke to the club's official media.

Michael, a lot has happened since we last spoke. First, tell us your reaction to the Champions League draw.

It's great to be in the Champions League, of course, and it was interesting to watch the draw. A draw is a draw, and now we know what we're up against. We'll be playing some very, very top teams, so we have to be ready. As for travel arrangements, this draw was quite kind to us. But this is the competition we want to be in—it's the biggest competition. It will be tough, of course, but we'll look forward to it.

Carlos Baleba has joined the team. How pleased are you with this signing? When can we expect to see him in the matchday squad?

It's great to have Carlos. He's arrived and settled in well. Unfortunately, in terms of his current physical condition, he's not yet ready to be in the matchday squad. We knew when he joined that he had a slight ankle injury.

So he'll probably need another two to three weeks to recover. We'll help him gradually get back to fitness, adapt to the team, and really integrate him. He has huge potential. Carlos has already gained good experience and is familiar with this league, which I think is a very important and crucial factor for us.

So he knows what he's getting into and what he can do. We're very happy to have him. He has huge potential, and we look forward to helping him fulfill it in the coming weeks and months.

Two of our players were recognized at the PFA Awards. Jessica Park was named in the Women's Super League Team of the Year, and Bruno Fernandes was named PFA Player of the Year. What are your thoughts on their performances?

It's fantastic for both of them. To be voted by fellow players, I've always thought, is a special honor. Whether it's being named in the Team of the Year, Player of the Year, or even just being nominated, I think being recognized by teammates and other players means even more.

Because those players have played against you, they know your qualities and the details of your game, and how well you can perform in certain moments. They make their judgment based on actually competing against you.

So to get their votes is always very pleasing. I think it means a lot to them. Congratulations to both of them.

Looking ahead to this weekend, Ipswich Town will be coming to Old Trafford. What are your thoughts on them?

They had a big win last week. After Kieran McKenna took over, you can see how the team plays—they show a lot of focus and intensity. They have some very good players and good quality in the squad.

As I said, after a great win last week, they'll certainly come here with confidence, which is what you'd expect. So it should be an exciting game.

We've had a good week of training and shown a lot of positive things. Of course, we have to work hard to win the game.

After the away loss to Hull City, have you seen a positive reaction in training this week?

Very good. As you'd expect, the players came back somewhat disappointed and obviously a bit frustrated. They want to correct the previous issues and do things better. Training has been very good—high intensity, fast-paced, and the overall quality is high. You can feel that firm determination around the whole team. So we're looking forward to what comes next.

The squad situation is pretty good at the moment. I know we have a couple of players with minor injuries.

Yes, Mount is back around the team and has joined in some partial training, so that's very positive news. He hasn't actually been out for too long, which is good. De Ligt has also been training with us and is now back with the team. So we're staying positive and trying to get everyone fit.

Finally, do you have anything to say to the fans before the first home game of the season?

We can't wait to be back at Old Trafford and see everyone again. I think the first home game of the season is always exciting, and hopefully it will be a great season ahead.

We need the support of all our fans—we need your backing and energy. There will be good times this season, and there will be tougher times, but we need to stick together. I think we did a great job of that last season, so we need to keep it up this season.

AF's PC site is now live! Browse full news, comments, match details and stats on your computer. Visit: www.allfootballapp.com