A Manchester United legend could hold to key to Middlesbrough beating Sunderland.
Sunderland have been one of the best teams in the Championship so far this season.
Regis Le Bris has transformed the Black Cats into a promotion-chasing side following his arrival over the summer.
Boro’s local rivals have won four of their first five Championship fixtures and currently sit in an automatic promotion place going into the weekend.
Middlesbrough have been less impressive in the opening stages of the campaign, with a 1-1 draw versus Preston North End last time out meaning the Reds have won just two league matches this term.
The Teessiders have not won back-to-back away games at the Stadium of Light since 2006 and Middlesbrough are predicted to draw with Sunderland on Saturday.
Should they fail to pick up the three points on September 21st, Boro are likely to drop into the bottom half of the Championship table.
Michael Carrick reveals Wayne Rooney contact before Sunderland
In turn, Michael Carrick will need all the help he can get when it comes to beating Middlesbrough’s North East rivals.
One man who could certainly help with that is Manchester United and England legend, Wayne Rooney.
Rooney played alongside Carrick for many years at Old Trafford and they remain in contact to this day.
Sunderland may have had an excellent start to 2024/25 but Rooney’s Plymouth Argyle beat them 3-2 in gameweek five.
Now, Carrick has revealed in his pre-match press conference that he has already been in contact with his ex-Manchester United teammate ahead of Saturday’s match.
He said: “We’ve exchanged a couple of messages and I’ll speak to him more at some point.
“It was a big result for them, so I was pleased for Wayne. It was an important result for them.”
How Middlesbrough will beat Sunderland
One of the main reasons Plymouth, who started the day 22nd in the Championship table, were able to beat Sunderland was defensive errors.
The Black Cats remain an inexperienced side who are still finding their feet under a new manager.
They pose a real threat going forward but, somewhat similarly to Boro, can be prone to a few mistakes at the back.
Their defensive prowess will be put to the test this weekend as while Middlesbrough have not scored too many goals this season, they are one of the best sides in the division for creating chances.
Carrick’s men have the highest xG in the Championship (9.6) going into the game and have created more chances than any other side.
As a result, Sunderland’s backline will be under heavy pressure for much of the 90 minutes, meaning they should make at least one mistake to allow Boro a great opportunity to take the lead.
All the Reds have to do then is keep their own defensive errors to a minimum at the Stadium of Light.