Michael Carrick left captain Bruno Fernandes out of Manchester United's starting lineup for Sunday's Premier League match against Bournemouth, a game United lost 3-0 at home just days after a 4-1 Champions League defeat to Como. The result left United without a win in eight games in all competitions.
Carrick insisted the decision to bench Fernandes was a "pure football" call. Asked why the captain didn't feature, Carrick said: "He's fit and available but we decided to pick the team that we did today. Unfortunately for everyone we didn't manage to get the right result. We want to push forward and create more, we could've done certain things but not enough really and that's pretty clear."
The decision came only a few days after Fernandes had publicly criticised the team's approach, saying it was the staff's decision "not to press man-to-man and sometimes leave a little bit of space in behind."
Dressing Room Tension
Fernandes has been at the centre of dressing room drama at Old Trafford, with both him and Lisandro Martinez making public comments that have targeted Carrick and the club's leadership.
Fernandes won the Premier League's Player of the Year award last season and has long been regarded as United's best player. Carrick, meanwhile, is reported to be under serious pressure and could be dismissed, though not many supporters are said to be blaming him for the club's current situation.
Speculation Over Fernandes's Future
There has been previous speculation about Fernandes's future at Old Trafford. Saudi Pro League clubs have reportedly weighed up an offer for the Portuguese international, while Galatasaray is believed to have registered interest during the summer transfer window.
