Manchester United make their long-awaited Champions League return as Michael Carrick’s side host Sabah in their opening competition clash.The Premier League club are back among the European elite for the first time since 2023, a spell of just over 1,000 days, after Carrick’s transformative impact last season, with the manager now hoping to build on a slightly sluggish start domestically as he navigates a busy campaign. With a new-look midfield still bedding in, the United boss could look to rotate here with a short turnaround to Sunday’s Manchester derby to come.Sabah are the champions of Azerbaijan and making their Champions League debut having come through four rounds of qualifying. Formed less than a decade ago, it has been a swift rise to Europe’s top table and they will be keen to cause a shock or two in this landmark campaign. Follow all of the latest from the Champions League clash with our live blog below:Will Luke Shaw be fit this evening?There is a question mark as to who will start at left-back for Man United tonight, with Luke Shaw a potential doubt.Shaw sat out training on Wednesday and, while he was ever-present in the Premier League last season, United’s busier schedule has brought questions if the veteran can play every game.“We just gave him an extra recovery day,” Carrick explained in his pre-match press conference. “We’ll see how he is, but it's not an ongoing thing or a plan or anything like that. It was just off the back of the game [at Everton] the other day. So each individual has kind of different little things that we manage and Luke was one of them today.”(Getty)Luke Baker10 September 2026 17:55Why Michael Carrick is dreaming big on Man United’s Champions League returnMichael Carrick is an instant reminder of the glory days at Manchester United. The manager who returned them to the Champions League was a player who won it. When United were the biggest club who were not in Europe last year, they turned to a man who conquered it. As they make their comeback in the Champions League, it is under a man who knows what it is like to win it and who hopes to experience it again.There is an ambition to Carrick. He knows what United was and imagines what it could be again. An opener against the champions of Azerbaijan, Sabah, may be a far cry from some of his meetings with Barcelona and Bayern Munich, Real Madrid and AC Milan, but Carrick hopes it is the start of something in the Champions League.Read Richard Jolly’s full piece:Luke Baker10 September 2026 17:47Sabah come into their Champions League debut with confidence after thrashing Zira 5-0 at the weekend, with Rwanda international Joy-Lance Mickels hitting a hat-trick, while Serbian striker Veljko Simic is set to start. Sabah predicted XI: Pokatilov; Isayev, Dashdamirov, Solvet, Puchacz; Rakhmonaliyev, Lepinjica; Mutallimov, Simic, Nwachukwu; MickelsLuke Baker10 September 2026 17:34Early Man United team newsMatthijs De Ligt (back), Amad Diallo (ankle), Manuel Ugarte (knee) and Tom Heaton (hamstring) remain injured for Man United, Carlos Baleba is still not ready either.United have a 25-man A-List squad, though a B-List includes the likes of Kobbie Mainoo and Leny Yoro. Marcus Rashford is carrying a knock after coming off against Everton and was "feeling a bit of something,” according to Michael Carrick.Man United predicted XI: Lammens; Dalot, Maguire, Martinez, Shaw; Tielemans, Mainoo; Mbeumo, Fernandes, Cunha; Sesko(PA Wire)Luke Baker10 September 2026 17:32How to watch Man United v SabahKick-off at Old Trafford in the Champions League this evening is at 8pm BST.The game will be shown live in the UK on TNT Sports 1 and TNT Sports Ultimate, with a live stream to be found on HBO Max. Coverage starts at 7pm BST.(Getty)Luke Baker10 September 2026 17:30Manchester United v SabahGood afternoon and welcome to The Independent’s coverage of Manchester United vs Sabah.United are back in the Champions League after more than 1,000 days away and have the champions of Azerbaijan as their first opponents.Can Michael Carrick’s men get their European campaign off to the perfect start?Luke Baker10 September 2026 16:43