Manchester United weigh captaincy and team changes as Michael Carrick's position comes under scrutiny

Summary

Manchester United head into Sunday's 2pm home match against Bournemouth at Old Trafford with coach Michael Carrick under pressure after a 4-1 defeat at Como on Wednesday. Carrick refused to rule out stripping Bruno Fernandes of the captaincy and/or dropping him, a decision the article describes as a test of the head coach's authority. Fernandes publicly questioned the team's tactics after the Como defeat, saying the staff had chosen not to press man-to-man and sometimes left space behind, which the article calls a challenge to Carrick's authority. The article argues the larger question is whether to sell Fernandes and Lisandro Martínez in the January window. Both are out of contract in the close season, though the club holds an extra year's option on each, and the article suggests that selling them for about £40m and £25m respectively could fund a rebuild. It also argues that if Carrick acts decisively, he may strengthen his position even if he is later removed.

Timeline

1. The Guardian

   23 Oct 2026, 19:00 UTCSource ↗

   The Guardian reports that Carrick refused to deny he may strip Bruno Fernandes of the captaincy or drop him for Sunday's game against Bournemouth, and argues that selling Fernandes and Lisandro Martínez in January could fund a rebuild.