Man Utd Round-Up, Thursday 29th October: Carrick Confirms Fernandes Stays as Captain Ahead of Chelsea Trip
Michael Carrick has been handed more time in charge at Old Trafford, and he addressed the media on Thursday ahead of Saturday's lunchtime trip to Stamford Bridge to face Chelsea (Manchester Evening News) (talkSPORT) (Manchester Evening News) (ManUtd.com). The head coach said he wasn't surprised to still be in the job and insisted he doesn't need any assurances over his long-term future, with the club having decided to stick with him for now (Manchester Evening News) (BBC Sport) (Evening Standard). Jamie Carragher has suggested there are things Carrick will never say publicly about the situation, while Gary Neville has argued that sometimes a manager needs to be sacked "for their own good" as the pressure continues to build (Manchester Evening News) (BBC Sport). Neville also used the opportunity to tell the Glazer family that "enough is enough" and that they should sell their stake in the club, with Manchester Evening News reporting on the instruction being handed down amid Ineos details emerging (ESPN) (Manchester Evening News).
The other big topic at Carrick's press conference was Bruno Fernandes. The head coach confirmed that his captain will keep the armband despite dropping him for the weekend's 3-0 defeat to Bournemouth following Fernandes' public outburst about his manager (ESPN) (Manchester Evening News) (Sky Sports). Carrick said there was "no decision to be made" on the captaincy and stressed Fernandes remains an important figure in his squad, with the pair having sat down to clear the air earlier in the week (Evening Standard) (The Guardian) (Manchester Evening News) (ManUtd.com). BBC Sport reported Carrick's view that Fernandes has "led the team so well for many a game and many a year" and will continue to do so (BBC Sport) (BBC Sport). Sky Sports' Kaveh Solhekol reflected on how Carrick handled the questioning over both his own future and his captain's position (Sky Sports) (Sky Sports). Manchester Evening News also suggested Fernandes could be set to return to the starting line-up at Chelsea, with an apology said to have smoothed things over (Manchester Evening News).
On the injury front, Carrick gave an update on Kobbie Mainoo, who has returned to training and is a boost ahead of the Chelsea game after being sidelined since the draw with Tottenham (Evening Standard) (ManUtd.com). However, there was a blow on Benjamin Sesko, with his injury absence now confirmed and United expecting him to be out until at least January (ManUtd.com) (Manchester Evening News) (Manchester Evening News). Manchester Evening News also rounded up the fitness picture on Mainoo, Sesko and Shaw before the Chelsea trip (Manchester Evening News).
In transfer news, Everton are reportedly weighing up a January loan move for Marcus Rashford, with TeamTalk suggesting United could be open to an arrangement including a buy option, though his wages are seen as a stumbling block (ESPN) (TeamTalk) (Manchester Evening News). Arsenal and Manchester United have also been linked with Bournemouth forward Eli Junior Kroupi after his return from injury put him back on the radar (TeamTalk) (Evening Standard). Elsewhere, Manchester City full-back Ait-Nouri has reportedly been offered to United again, with a decision on his January exit said to have already been made at City (TeamTalk). TeamTalk also linked United with a Como forward described as a "battering ram" following his side's Champions League win over Carrick's team (TeamTalk). Manchester Evening News further reported that Ruben Amorim is plotting a second raid on United for AC Milan, eyeing a defender and forward in a double deal (Manchester Evening News), while Antonio Conte has been named as a potential successor to Carrick should United decide to make a change (Manchester Evening News).
Away from the pitch, former teammate Rio Ferdinand has said Cristiano Ronaldo is "obsessed" with being the best because he's aware of anything negative said about him (talkSPORT), while ex-midfielder Ander Herrera remains bitter over Manchester City's rule breaches, describing the damage as "irreparable" (ESPN). In the academy, Manchester Evening News' latest notebook highlighted Kai Rooney's rise through the ranks along with a JJ Gabriel link (Manchester Evening News). ManUtd.com also looked back at the famous 2008 Champions League final penalty shootout (ManUtd.com). Finally, Sky Sports' tipster backed United to deliver a reaction for Carrick at Chelsea this weekend (Sky Sports), while The Guardian noted that despite sitting at opposite ends of the table, Chelsea have actually performed worse than United this season by Opta's expected points model (The Guardian).
This round-up is written with the help of AI, using only the day's headlines from the publishers credited above. Each point links to the original report — tap the source name to read it in full.