Carrick says recovering from heart operation

Manchester United midfielder Michael Carrick has undergone an operation for an irregular heart rhythm, he said on his Twitter feed on Thursday. "After feeling strange in the second half of the Burton game in September, I underwent a series of tests," he said. "It turned out to be due to an irregular heart rhythm which has been fully investigated and I had a procedure called a Cardiac Ablation." The 36-year-old said he was making the statement in response to questions about why he had not been playing.

Here is a statement in relation to my recent fitness. Thank you. pic.twitter.com/RN3TOE9VT4

— Michael Carrick (@carras16) November 24, 2017

Carrick said he has had to rebuild his fitness and aimed "to be back in contention soon". "I'm feeling fine now. I'd like to reassure everyone that I'm healthy and back training hard with the team." Carrick played in four pre-seasons games for United but did not feature again until the EFL tie against Burton.

Breaking: "I would like to reassure everyone that I'm healthy. I'm building up my fitness and aiming to be back in contention for selection soon" - Michael Carrick #ssn pic.twitter.com/slGck7N42h

— Sky Sports News (@SkySportsNews) November 24, 2017

Carrick made his debut for West Ham United in 1999, joining Tottenham Hotspur and then United in 2006. He has played more than 300 times for the club and been capped 34 times by England. In a cardiac ablation, tissue in the heart that triggers or sustains an abnormal rhythm is scarred or destroyed to return the organ to a normal rhythm.