Carrick identifies three Manchester United stars Tuchel should consider selecting

Manchester United interim boss Michael Carrick is keen for England manager Thomas Tuchel to consider selecting the club's trio of Harry Maguire, Luke Shaw, and Kobbie Mainoo for upcoming friendlies against Japan and Uruguay, in a bid to bolster their World Cup prospects.

Carrick's plea comes as Tuchel has not picked any United players since taking the England reins in January 2025, with the exception of Marcus Rashford, who was chosen during his loan stints at Aston Villa and Barcelona.

This notable omission highlights United's decline in recent years, prompting Carrick to urge Tuchel to utilize his stars in the forthcoming friendlies, scheduled for later in March.

United centre-back Maguire boasts an impressive record, having featured in three major tournaments and earned 64 caps, with his most recent appearance coming 18 months ago.

Mainoo, on the other hand, made his 10th international appearance in the same game as Maguire's last outing for the Three Lions, a Nations League clash with Ireland in September 2024.

Despite being touted as a future England regular after starting the Euro 2024 final against Spain, the 20-year-old midfielder fell out of favour at United during Ruben Amorim's tenure.

United left-back Shaw, who also started in the Euro final loss two years ago, is another contender for inclusion when Tuchel announces his squad on Friday for the final friendlies on home soil before the World Cup.

Maguire, Mainoo, and Shaw have all been regular starters under Carrick, helping a revitalized United climb to third place ahead of their trip to Bournemouth on Friday.

Carrick expressed his desire to see his players selected, stating, "For the boys, I'd love to see them picked for this one and obviously picked for the summer," in a press conference on Wednesday.

Carrick revealed that he had not been in touch with Tuchel regarding potential England call-ups before the World Cup, which kicks off in North America on June 11.

Carrick believes his players have done enough to warrant selection, saying, "I don't have any influence on that, but certainly, the boys, the way they're playing, I think they've put themselves right in the conversation and right in the picture and given themselves a chance."

He added, "The boys are definitely playing well enough to warrant a place, for sure, it's just not my decision, so we'll have to wait and see."

Tuchel previously stated in August that the absence of United players did not indicate a bias against the club, and Mainoo's England absence was understandable given his limited playing time at the start of the season.

However, under Carrick, Mainoo has reestablished himself as a key figure, with Carrick noting, "Of course, he can always improve, and on a lot of things, just the age he's at, just for starters."

Carrick praised Mainoo's ability to quickly find his rhythm after a period of limited playing time, saying, "Not having a lot of football for a period of time, to come in and play a run of games and find your rhythm, I think he did that really quickly."