Three Manchester United players Michael Carrick has to pick vs Man City

Manchester United interim head coach Michael Carrick has some huge selection decisions to make ahead of the Manchester derby this weekend.

Few managers have had as tough a first test as Michael Carrick will face this weekend when he leads Manchester United for his second stint as interim head coach. Facing Manchester City under ordinary circumstances is a fixture that piles on the pressure for whoever is in the Old Trafford dugout.

But considering Carrick returned to Carrington on Tuesday and held his first training session on Wednesday, the prospect of the derby now becomes an even tougher challenge than it already was. In these sessions before the game, the 44-year-old will get a good gauge of which players should start against City.

Fortunately for Carrick and United, there are a few players in the current squad who are certainties to start against City. The first has to be Senne Lammens.

When it became clear Andre Onana had no future at Old Trafford, eyebrows were raised when Lammens was signed to replace him. He had only played one full season for Royal Antwerp and there were concerns the leap to United would be too big.

With Onana gone, Altay Bayindir initially stepped in to replace him but after the defeat to Brentford, Ruben Amorim decided to give the Belgian a chance and he has not looked back since.

Bruno Fernandes is another certainty to be picked this weekend. The captain has been the best signing since Sir Alex Ferguson left the club. His consistency for the Reds has been unmatched and he has managed this in teams that fall below the lofty expectations at United.

Fernandes is one of the few players United have who can create something out of nothing and that quality cannot be underestimated. The Reds will expect to have less of the ball, despite being at home on Saturday, considering City's possession-based style.

But if United are going to utilise their potentially limited chances, they need Fernandes to be in attacking midfield, creating opportunities for the third player in the squad who has to start on Saturday. Benjamin Sesko would not have been a guaranteed starter as recently as a few weeks ago, but how things have changed in such a short period of time.

His brace against Burnley followed by another at home to Brighton and Hove Albion in the FA Cup will have boosted Sesko's confidence. With the Slovenian back amongst the goals, it would be a mistake not to pick him and effectively risk him losing form.

It also helps Sesko's case that there is no standout alternative to him. Matheus Cunha leading the line is an option but he does not have as much influence on the game in the centre-forward role as he would in Carrick's attacking midfield three.

With those three inclusions effectively locked in, the interim head coach now has the small task of choosing which of their teammates line up alongside them. No pressure.