THE SUN 🔵 Michael Carrick breaks silence on Man Utd mid-season tour talks after European absence left club with £100m black hole

MANCHESTER UNITED have still not decided whether to embark on a lucrative mid-season tour.

United had discussed a trip during the campaign after they failed to qualify for Europe last season – missing out on £100million in the process.

Their schedule is even sparser now following their elimination from the FA Cup in the third round last month.

United headed to Malaysia and Hong Kong for a post-season tour last year and recouped around £10million from the jaunt.

Saudi Arabia has been touted as a likely destination for United to travel to and they have an 11-day gap between games after they play at Newcastle on March 4.

However, sources have suggested the trip is not a certainty now and United have won their first three games under new head coach Michael Carrick.

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United do not have a fixture for 22 days following their Friday night trek to Bournemouth on March 20.

Half of that is during the internationals but the domestic season resumes with the FA Cup quarter-finals – which is Easter weekend.

Carrick indicated United could use the gaps “in different ways”.

The club flew to Dubai and Marbella for warm-weather training camps in 2019 and 2020 when Carrick was on then-manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer‘s coaching staff.

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Carrick said: “At this stage, nothing’s confirmed. We’re aware of the schedule and there are some spaces that we can use in different ways.

“It’s all up for discussion at the moment. Nothing’s been decided. It might happen. It might not.”

Mason Mount and Matthijs de Ligt are both unavailable again for Saturday’s visit of Tottenham.

Mount missed the 3-2 win against Fulham last week with a knock and De Ligt has been sidelined with a back problem since November 30.

Carrick expects Mount to return before De Ligt and United travel to West Ham United on Tuesday.

He added: “Probably Mason (will be back) sooner. He’s not too far away really, we’re hoping it won’t be too long.

“Mattha is working his way back, he’s improving, he’s been really positive, hopefully not too soon.”

Carrick interviewed Tottenham coach Thomas Frank in his role as a pundit earlier in the season for Amazon Prime’s Champions League coverage.

Frank is under intense pressure at Spurs, who have won two of their past 15 league games and are 14th in the table.

Carrick spent two seasons at Tottenham between 2004-06 before he joined United for £18.6m.

The United head coach has fond memories of his time at White Hart Lane, where he predominantly played under Martin Jol, but instantly fell in love with United when he moved north.

Carrick said of his chat with Frank: “I really enjoyed it. We got on really well.

“It was the first time I’d met him, we had a good chat about general football things, processes ideas.

“He was really accommodating. I enjoyed it, it will be good to see him again.

“I’ve got really fond memories of Tottenham and being at the club. I was there for a short time but really enjoyed it.

“Good team, Martin Jol was the manager and there were a lot of things I learnt at the club in that short period of time.

“Coming here was a big jump at the time, I certainly felt that pretty quickly.

“Once you step inside this place as a footballer, it turns you.

“So pretty much from the first day, walking into the dressing room, meeting the manager from then on, that was me.”

Carrick will attended the memorial service for the 68th anniversary of the Munich air disaster at Old Trafford on Friday.

The 44-year-old was a player when the 50th anniversary was commemorated and into his last season at United when Old Trafford hosted a service on the 60th anniversary.

Carrick, who is under contract as head coach until the end of the season, added “we’ll see” as to whether he will be at United for the 70th anniversary in 2028.

Carrick said: “It means a great deal.

“As soon as you come you can’t help but know and be aware of the history. You understand what’s come before us with behaviors and responsibilities of what we need to carry through.

“Munich is probably the biggest part of the history of this club, in terms of the tragedy itself, how the team and the football club bounced back from it and had success.

“Sir Alex would mention it, it was important to him and important to us and it ends up becoming a way of life and it’s important we carry it on.

“I was here for the 50th and the 60th. We’ll see about the 70th, I’m not sure yet.”