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Michael Carrick is making speedy progress from his ruptured calf muscle injury and could be back before the predicted month-long KO.

United’s 33-year-old vice-captain suffered the injury training before the Leicester City match last week and was ruled out for four weeks.

However, the midfielder’s medical bulletin is a bright one.

“We have only one injury,” said van Gaal “and Michael Carrick is doing well. He shall also return very fast I think, better than we expect maybe. But it is always wait and see.”

Former West Ham youth team product Carrick will miss a return to Upton Park this weekend but United’s match against the high riding Hammers is the next stage in an eight day period Van Gaal had identified as key for the Reds progress.

“I said before the game against Leicester City (last Saturday) that this is an important week,” said the Dutchman.

“This shall be an important week and we have to win all of the three matches. After we beat Leicester we were third in the league. After that, we beat Cambridge and we our in the next round of the FA Cup. Now, we have to continue and all of the players know that

“But it’s not so easy because we have to play away in London against West Ham United and it was a tough game also in Manchester. It shall not be easy, but we want to continue. We have to improve still a lot in my opinion and then at the end maybe we can see we are the best team.”

Click below for a gallery of United's win over Cambridge: