Carrick faces Fernandes call as Manchester United host Bournemouth
Manchester United head coach Michael Carrick must decide whether to drop captain Bruno Fernandes for Sunday's Premier League meeting with Bournemouth, with pundits, fans and former players split on the issue.
Michael Carrick faces a major selection decision before Sunday's Premier League game against Bournemouth at Old Trafford: whether to leave out captain Bruno Fernandes. The question follows Fernandes's post-match criticism of the coaching staff's tactics after the 4-1 Champions League defeat by Como, comments that have divided opinion around the club.
Former Everton and Rangers striker Duncan Ferguson told The Overlap podcast that the situation is a big problem for Carrick, arguing that a captain who has undermined his manager should be removed from the side even though he is United's best player. Joe Smith, host of the Stretford Paddock fan channel, also said he would not play Fernandes at the weekend, and questioned why Lisandro Martinez had featured against Leeds.
Fernandes was not disciplined for his outburst and remains skipper, while Martinez was fined after attacking the club hierarchy following the 2-0 loss to Atletico Madrid. One source who has previously worked with Fernandes described Wednesday's remarks to BBC Sport as an assassination and unprofessional, though others at Old Trafford have sympathy given he conducted about 10 post-match interviews after the Como defeat.
Wayne Rooney, Carrick's former team-mate, said on the United Stand podcast that the Martinez episode risked ripping the dressing room apart and that he would come out fighting in Carrick's position. Carrick is due to address the media at 1330 BST and will be asked directly about Fernandes's place in the team.
The stakes are high: United have gone seven games without a win, and defeat to Bournemouth would equal Louis van Gaal's poor run in 2015-16. Carrick is also without injured Benjamin Sesko, Kobbie Mainoo and Marcus Rashford, while Fernandes's link-up with Youri Tielemans has yet to flourish and his goal contributions this season are limited to the 5-2 win over Ipswich in August and a strike against Sabah FK in September.
Image: Getty Images / BBC Sport
