New deal for Harry Maguire? Man United defender may not hit free agency as Michael Carrick drops contract hint

Maguire's importance under Carrick

Amorim was relieved of his United duties following a 1-1 draw with Leeds last month. U18s boss Darren Fletcher took over for the 2-2 draw with Burnley and the 2-1 FA Cup third round defeat to Brighton before Carrick was confirmed as United head coach until the end of the season.

And Carrick has overseen a huge upturn in form following his return to the Old Trafford dugout. United are unbeaten in all six games under the Boro boss, winning five and drawing one, while that run includes victories over Manchester City and Arsenal.

Maguire, too, has returned to regular first team action having struggled for minutes under Amorim. The former Hull City and Leicester man has started all six matches under Carrick, playing the full 90 in five of those, and is playing some of his best football under the 44-year-old.

And Carrick was asked about Maguire and his future ahead of United's game against Crystal Palace on Sunday, with the former admitting "there's a lot more to come" from the towering center back.

'More to come' from Maguire

When questioned about Maguire on Friday, Carrick said: "Harry's an impressive character. He's had a great career so far and hopefully there's a lot more to come. I think in what he's been here and the journey and the experiences that he's had certainly since he's been here and with England as well I think show exactly what he is.

"Within the squad there is that balance, you want that younger potential and excitement, but you need the sweet spot in the middle with players at the peak, and experience is massive.

"It’s hard to put a price on how valuable that can be. Harry has gained an awful lot of experience with this club. Casemiro leaving is another one and we have to understand what that means."

And when asked if Maguire is better than ever, Carrick said: "There is a case (for that), as your career goes when you’re a young player and everything is fresh, you’re fearless and there’s not many scars there. You get to your peak years and you feel good and everything is there, but you’ve had a few ups and downs.

"You get towards the later times and the experience should make you a better player, we’ve seen that with Harry’s performances of late.

"That’s why experience is important, I felt it when I was playing, 31 or 32 were my best years of being in that sweet spot to do it physically still but use the experiences to know what is coming."

Martinez may return for Palace clash

Maguire has excelled alongside Lisandro Martinez at the heart of the United defence, though the Argentine sat out the 1-0 win over Everton due to injury. "Licha is a lot closer than Patrick is. It will be a matter of days hopefully, it won’t be too long. We’ll assess him over the next day or two, and see where he is," Carrick said of Martinez this week.

Carrick also delivered updates on Mason Mount and Matthijs de Ligt ahead of Sunday's game against Crystal Palace, saying: "Mason is getting closer really. He’s on the grass and he’s getting closer, he’s looking to train and be in around it pretty soon.

"He’s getting close. He’s just had to be patient really and he’s a big player so we’re looking after him, making sure he’s ready for a big finish to the season. The good news is he’s getting really close.

"Matthijs, he’s had a back issue, which has been a little bit slower to progress really. It’s something we’ve been working through and he’s getting there. He’s in the right direction but, as I said, he’s just a little bit further behind.

"It’s one of those things that’s disappointing but it’s just a part of football unfortunately, so we’ll get him back when we can.

"It’s just the nature of the injury and the issue in the back. It’s a difficult one to pin down, especially time-wise. He’s definitely improving, so that’s a good thing and we’re just working towards that really. There’s not much more I can give at this stage."

United in the running for top-four finish

United can take a huge step towards a Champions League finish with a win over Crystal Palace on Sunday afternoon. Carrick's side sit fourth heading into the weekend's action, three points clear of Chelsea and Liverpool in fifth and sixth, respectively.

The Blues make the trip across the capital to face Arsenal on Sunday evening, while the Reds welcome West Ham to Anfield on Saturday afternoon in a bid to make it four wins from their last five league games.