Manchester United manager Michael Carrick has declared that his side's return to the UEFA Champions League is no sightseeing trip — the club are back to make a genuine run at Europe's biggest prize.

United host Azerbaijani champions Sabah at Old Trafford this week, marking the end of a 1,003-day exile from the competition. Speaking to the club's official website, Carrick was emphatic: his squad has arrived to compete, not simply to participate.

Having tested himself against top-tier opposition during his tenure, Carrick believes the depth and quality within the group can carry United deep into the knockout rounds.