Michael Carrick has made his position clear on Bruno Fernandes, confirming the midfielder will remain captain despite recent tension between the pair.

Fernandes, who has been United’s most influential creator, was left on the bench for the full 90 minutes against the Cherries. United then stretched their winless run to eight matches in all competitions, a sequence that has placed Carrick under growing pressure.

For now, though, the manager remains in charge and is preparing for Saturday’s meeting with Chelsea. Asked directly whether Fernandes would continue as skipper, Carrick gave a firm answer and made it plain that no change is planned.

“There is no decision to be made on [the captaincy],” Carrick said. “It will be Bruno. Listen, we’re clear with the situation of the team and as a football club at the moment. He’s an important player for this group. He has been and he will be.

“Between us, we’ve got to make a difference and we’ve got to push things in a good direction. He’s fully committed to this football club. He’s fully committed to making things better. It doesn’t change for me. He’s the one that’s kind of led the team so well for many a game and many a year, and he’ll continue to do that.”

Carrick’s public support followed reports that the pair had held “clear the air” talks in an effort to reset their relationship. The hope inside the camp will be that Fernandes can now rediscover his form.

The 32-year-old enjoyed a record-breaking 2025-26 season, when he won the FWA Footballer of the Year, Premier League Player of the Season and PFA Players’ Player of the Year. This season has been far quieter. In 11 appearances, he has only four goals and one assist, with those contributions coming against Ipswich Town and Champions League debutants Sabah.

United travel to west London short of options. Carrick said on Thursday that Benjamin Šeško will miss a “longer period of time” because of a lingering shin injury, with reports suggesting he may be out until January. He joins Marcus Rashford, Luke Shaw, Patrick Dorgu and Manuel Ugarte on the sidelines, while Kobbie Mainoo has returned to training with the group after his spell out.

Wayne Rooney has delivered a fierce criticism of Manchester United’s current group, saying anyone who believes they are equipped to compete is “deluded” and “living in cuckoo land.”

The club have chosen to stand by manager Michael Carrick despite an ugly eight-match winless spell, with Saturday’s visit of Chelsea next on the schedule. That decision has broadly been met with approval from supporters, particularly after the 3–0 defeat to Bournemouth, which made clear where the frustration lies.

Rooney, though, aimed his anger squarely at the players. In a wide-ranging rant, he accused them of lacking care, intensity and basic commitment to the shirt.

“The players haven’t got a leg to stand on,” he told Stick to United. “What’s not fair is the performances they are giving. I looked at the fans, you could see the pain and anger in their faces when those players are walking around the football pitch. You see Martínez when Rayan ran round him, they are not getting to the ball, it’s so frustrating.

“I could score a goal, had ability or whatever, at least I f—ing ran and put myself about as a team. These players are not doing that.

“I would love to go in that dressing room and say, ‘What the f— are you all doing? What type of performances do you think this is? Do you think you deserve to wear the shirt?’ Put a f—ing firework up their a—- because they are not doing anything.

“We are seeing players who are numb, look like they have got no emotion, look like they don’t care. Some of them might care, some good lads who are getting dragged down. It is so frustrating to watch.”

Rooney also questioned whether the squad is even strong enough, especially in attack. He said the team is, at best, mid-table and argued they are being judged too generously after Michael Carrick’s early impact.

“It is at best a mid-table team, but if you look at all the mid-table teams, what do they get? They get players working hard, running, tackling and I keep saying it, going back to the basics,” he fumed. “These players think they are better than what they are.

“Unfortunately, what happened when Michael Carrick came in at the start is that it has given the players and the board false hope that they are good enough. He has done well, stuck together, managed somehow to finish third, then the board are thinking, ‘We are a top four team,’ when in reality they are miles away from it.

“You are deluded if they think the front three are good enough. They wanted Premier League players, they have brought lads from Wolves and Brentford, who have done well, but for signings to take this Manchester United team to the next level, you are living in cuckoo land if you think they are going to achieve that.”

Manchester United are already being linked with possible replacements for Michael Carrick, with Eddie Howe said to be the leading candidate if change is made at Old Trafford.

Carrick’s position is understood to be under increasing pressure, and anything other than victory at Stamford Bridge on Saturday would only add to the speculation surrounding his future. According to journalist Fabrizio Romano, United have already begun conversations with possible options for the role.

“[Man Utd] also, because it’s the reality, they also had some conversations with agents, camps, representatives of other managers, because Manchester United had some conversation and that’s absolutely normal,” said the Italian.

“I’m not accusing Man Utd of anything wrong. It’s normal when things are not going well you start preparing for a potential change. So Man Utd had conversations with agents of managers.”

Romano then identified three names he believes sit on United’s list should Carrick be removed. In the order he gave them, those names were Howe, Julian Nagelsmann and Antonio Conte.

“I told you that the three names we should take in consideration as free managers are in this order—Eddie Howe, Julian Nagelsmann, Antonio Conte.

“Three managers very different one from the other and also in terms of approach.

“United are yet to say ‘Okay, let’s go for this coach.’ So the moment is still open but these are three names and obviously to talk with representatives, intermediaries or anyone close to these coaches is absolutely something normal in this situation, in this position for Manchester United.

“Then obviously there could be other managers who can be very attractive but very difficult to get.”

Howe, 48, has been out of work since leaving Newcastle at the end of July and is viewed as the current front-runner. His Premier League experience and man-management are thought to have caught United’s attention, even if there are lingering doubts about whether he has yet managed at a level comparable with Old Trafford.

Nagelsmann, 39, offers a very different profile. He has never coached in England, but his tactical reputation and attractive style have kept him in view. At the same time, his spell with the Germany national team did not fully convince, leaving him with questions of his own.