Michael Carrick finds himself in a state of limbo ahead of the November international break.
On the back of a winless run of eight games, INEOS have certainly lost their belief in Carrick, given they have already started searching for his replacement. It is understood that the failure to settle on a replacement has granted the Englishman another stay of execution.
The same could be said about United players, with Bruno Fernandes going public with his dissatisfaction at Carrick’s tactics.
Kobbie Mainoo keen to fight for Michael Carrick
However, for now, Michael Carrick will remain in charge of Manchester United and will lead them against Chelsea at Stamford Bridge. As such, there is an opportunity for Carrick to turn the situation around and, for that, he would need his best players by his side.
Fernandes might be United’s most high-profile player, but as far as this season’s performances are concerned, Kobbie Mainoo has been the side’s best player. The England midfielder was also a key cog in Carrick’s midfield last term.
According to Fabrizio Romano, Mainoo will be available against Chelsea, having returned to first-team training after an injury lay-off. Romano added that Mainoo “loves” Carrick and wants to fight for him, although he is not the only Red Devil who feels like that.
The Italian journalist believes Carrick “saved the career” of Mainoo, as before his arrival, the 21-year-old academy product was “going to leave” United on loan in January.
| Stat | Kobbie Mainoo · Premier League | K. Mainoo · UEFA Champions League | K. Mainoo · League Cup | Kobbie Mainoo |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Competition | Premier League | UEFA Champions League | League Cup | All competitions |
| Apps | 6 | 1 | 1 | 8 |
| Minutes | 447 | 64 | 24 | 535 |
| Goals | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Assists | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
Michael Carrick holds clear-the-air talks with Bruno Fernandes
Mainoo’s absence over the last few weeks made things difficult for Carrick, and his selection headaches were exacerbated by Fernandes’ ill-advised comments after the Como defeat.
Carrick was left with no option but to drop Fernandes against Bournemouth, with the United skipper getting zero minutes in the 3-0 defeat at Old Trafford.
However, Romano claims Fernandes is expected to return against Chelsea after the pair had a direct face-to-face conversation.
If the Portuguese maestro and Mainoo manage to combine to the same deadly effect as last term, United would certainly look a much more dangerous side than they have in recent months.
Featured image by Ryan Pierse via Getty Images
