Ouaddou ditches rotation as Pirates target CAF Champions League progression in Soweto

Former Liverpool defender Jamie Carragher has cast doubt on Manchester United's ability to contend for the Champions League title this season. Rejoining the competition for the first time since 2023, United kicked off their league phase with a resounding 4-0 win over Azerbaijani side Sabah. Matheus Cunha scored the opening goal for United, followed by quick-fire responses from Bruno Fernandes and Benjamin Sesko, which left Michael Carrick's side in a commanding position by halftime.

In the second half, Lisandro Martinez added to the tally, capitalizing on a goalkeeping mistake, as the Red Devils demonstrated their return to their former winning ways ahead of the highly anticipated Manchester derby on Sunday. During United's last Champions League campaign, they failed to advance past the group stages. However, they are determined to avoid a repeat of that experience in the revamped league phase.

Carragher, who was a part of the 2007 Champions League winning squad, expressed his skepticism about the current United squad's chances of being serious contenders. Speaking to CBS Sports, he said, "Probably not just yet," when asked about United's potential in this year's Champions League. "Now, I'm not trying to be patronising in any way.

Manchester United, as I've just stated, are one of the largest clubs in the world. However, to enter the competition now with their current squad and expect them to achieve significant success against other clubs of their stature, they just haven't got the quality right now, I think, to go deep into the competition." Manchester United will face their city rivals, Manchester City, in the Premier League over the weekend.