Carrick: Barry's one to watch

After being left out of Fabio Capello’s latest England squad, Michael Carrick was forced to watch Gareth Barry partner Owen Hargreaves in the centre of midfield on Wednesday night.

This weekend, Carrick says he’ll have his eye on Barry once more, as Aston Villa come to Old Trafford in search of three points.

“Gaz is a very good player,” Carrick told ManUtd.com. “He’s got a great left foot and it’s pretty reliable, so we have to be careful when he’s on the ball and not give away too many free kicks in the final third.

“He’s played in a few different positions during his career. I think he started at centre half and then played at left back before moving onto the left wing.

“Now he’s settled into the central midfield role and developed a good partnership with Nigel Reo-Coker. Those two work really well together.”

In last season’s corresponding fixture, United won 3-1 and Carrick scored his first goal in a United shirt.

“It was an important goal although I’ve probably scored better ones since,” he said. “Hopefully there’s one or two more from me before the end of the season.”