Having made just one appearance for Manchester United this season - in a League Cup tie against Burton Albion in September - many had assumed that Michael Carrick's playing days at Old Trafford were numbered, as with the arrival of Nemanja Matic in the summer made it seem as though he had fallen down the pecking order for Jose Mourinho.
However, as has now been revealed by the man himself, there was something a lot more worrying keeping Michael Carrick out of the match-day squads over the past few months.
Carrick admitted to feeling strange during the second half of that match against Burton Albion, tests later discovered that he had an irregular heart rhythm which obviously could have been very dangerous had it not been spotted.
The midfielder issued a statement on Twitter this evening where he assured fans that he was OK, and was looking forward to getting back involved in first-team football.
Here is a statement in relation to my recent fitness. Thank you. pic.twitter.com/RN3TOE9VT4
— Michael Carrick (@carras16) November 24, 2017
That's great to see.
Carrick is one of the good guys in Premier League football, so thankfully early detection of this issue has prevented it from becoming a serious problem.
Carrick will still have a tough time dislodging the likes of Matic and Ander Herrera in the Man United midfield, but Mourinho will surely look to use his experience over the busy Christmas period now that he is working his way back to fitness.
