After successive defeats, Boro are in desperate need of a win as they look to close the three point gap on sixth-placed Coventry City and keep their play-off hopes alive.
But they’ll face a Plymouth side scrapping for their lives at the bottom and just three points adrift of safety after last week’s dramatic come from behind victory over Sheffield United.
For Whittaker, it’s a first reunion with his former side since he left Plymouth for Boro in the January transfer window.
But Carrick has told the forward to control his emotions and treat the game as he would any other.
“I think you have to be pretty cold about it and take that out of it,” said Boro’s head coach.
“It’s irrelevant. We’re in it to do a job. That’s how I always coped with it. You have to pull yourself away from that.
“It will always be there in the background and the respect is always there, but in the moment that’s part of performing and part of elite performance of having your head in the right place and being cold enough to perform.
“Morgan did great for Plymouth. He had a great time there. He’s here now and hopefully he does well at the weekend.”
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Whittaker was the star at Plymouth but is yet to hit top form for Boro and is still looking for his first goal in red and white.
But Carrick said: “Look, I’m not chasing it and desperate for Morgan’s first goal. As a team we want to play well and win and he can contribute in different ways.
“He’s settled in really well and looked really dangerous in certain games. He’s hugely talented. He’s desperate to come here, do well, learn and improve. But I’m not putting any pressure on him. If he gets that goal, great; if we win the game, fantastic.
Plymouth are bottom of the table but have lost just one of their last four. Their away form, however, is dreadful, with just one win on the road this season.
Carrick said: “It’s pretty clear, league position doesn’t really make a lot of sense at times, especially at this stage of the season.
“We’ve seen all sorts of results in the last few weeks. League position doesn’t count for anything for us going into the game.
“For us, it’s focusing on ourselves and preparing in the right way. But league position is totally irrelevant going into this game.
“We have an awful lot to play for and it means an awful lot to us. There’s that drive and desire to make it happen for ourselves.
“We totally understand and respect the position Plymouth are in and the emotions they bring to the game.
“It’s a big part of the game. We have to understand that, feel it and go through it. And in games like this it’s who deals with it the best.”
