Michael Carrick highlights rising expectations at Manchester United before City derby

Manchester United arrive at the derby against Manchester City with fresh confidence after a 4-0 win over Sabah in the Champions League. Manager Michael Carrick says demands inside the club have grown since he took charge, a shift he views as a positive sign of the progress made over recent months.

• United thrashed Sabah 4-0 in the Champions League and face the derby with high morale.
• Carrick already beat Pep Guardiola's City in his first match as manager in January.
• The boss believes expectations have changed since he arrived in the dugout.
• Luke Shaw is a doubt for the clash after being rested as a precaution against Sabah.

How expectations have changed at Old Trafford since Carrick's return

Carrick will manage a Manchester derby for the second time on Sunday. His first experience, back in January, ended with victory over the side then coached by Pep Guardiola. That win came only a year after United finished 15th in the Premier League, a result that left the club without European football.

Since then, the picture has changed considerably. United ended last season in third place, just one spot behind City, and secured a return to the Champions League. Being back among the continental elite has raised the internal bar, and Carrick does not shy away from that pressure.

I think even talking about expectations in the Champions League is a really good thing. They have shifted in a way, and suddenly different things are asked of us compared to a few months ago. We are in the Champions League, and that shows the steps we have taken.

What is at stake for Manchester United in the derby against City

The meeting with Enzo Maresca's side comes with United fighting to establish themselves among the Premier League's best. Taking all three points against their neighbours would not only strengthen their league position but also confirm the growth of a project that a year ago seemed far from competing with the top sides.

Carrick, however, refuses to rely on January's result. Winning once offers no guarantee of doing it again, and the manager prefers to focus on a City side that has changed coach but remains a contender for every trophy.

There is no way we are assuming that because we won last year we will do the same things and everything will be the same. That would be a mistake.

United's Champions League return as a measure of the project

United's place in the Champions League group stage puts the club back where its supporters feel it belongs. The win over Sabah, with four goals and a clean sheet, delivered a strong performance and allowed Carrick to rotate some players with the derby in mind.

For Carrick, that European context is the clearest sign of the transformation. Competing in the top continental competition means responding to a higher level of demand, and the team must get used to reaching the latter stages if those expectations are to be consolidated.

Luke Shaw remains a major doubt for United ahead of City clash

One of the main questions ahead of the derby concerns Luke Shaw's availability. The full-back missed the win over Sabah, and Carrick explained that his absence was a precautionary measure. The coaching staff chose not to risk the player, who was not fully fit.

We will have to see. We just looked after him a little bit. He was not 100 percent ready, so we did not take the risk.

His presence in the starting line-up against City will depend on how he progresses in training before the match. If he fails to recover in time, Carrick will need to adjust the left side of his defence in a game where small details could prove decisive.

The psychological factor of a derby with renewed demands

The Manchester derby always carries extra tension, but this time United arrive with the need to prove their improvement is not temporary. Beating City would be a statement in the Premier League and in the race for bigger targets.

Carrick has restored belief in a dressing room that came from a painful season. Expectations that were modest months ago are now ambitious, and the manager accepts the challenge without avoiding the pressure. The derby will be a decisive test of how far that growth can go.