Michael Carrick says Bruno Fernandes was "fit and available" but was not picked in Manchester United's defeat by Bournemouth.
The Red Devils suffered further humiliation on Sunday as the Cherries romped to a 3-0 win and extended United’s winless run to eight matches.
The result, which leaves Carrick’s position hanging in the balance, came after the under-fire head coach made the bold call to drop skipper Fernandes to the bench at Old Trafford – and then leave the Portuguese there.
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But with the defeat it leaves Carrick's position even more fragile, especially with the generally docile performance from those who did play.
Asked about leaving Fernandes on the bench, 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 32-year-old has been a shadow of the player that swept up awards last season, with the ineffective star replaced in the second half of Wednesday’s chastening 4-1 loss at Champions League upstarts Como.
But Fernandes’ comments in Italy were as problematic as his form, with the captain appearing to question Carrick’s tactics as another trip ended in an eye-catching post-match player interview, a week after Lisandro Martinez turned his fire on director of football Jason Wilcox.
Carrick insisted the decision to drop Fernandes was for “pure football” reasons.
“Picking the team is always a difficult decision,” Carrick told Sky Sports before kick-off. “We’ve got to make what we feel is the right one for the team to try to get the performance we want.”
Speaking after the Como defeat, Fernandes said it was the staff’s decision “not to press man-to-man and sometimes leave a little bit of space in behind”.
United boss Carrick said on Wednesday evening: “We actually half-pressed man-to-man in the second half and then conceded a goal from that.
“And there’s a little bit on whatever system you play, whatever tactics you play, if you don’t run, and you don’t run forward, and you don’t run back, you aren’t going to win.”
Carrick refused to be drawn on Fernandes’ outburst – or the prospect of dropping him – at Friday’s pre-match press conference, pledging to “always do what’s best for the football club”.
Former United captain Gary Neville backed the decision to take the skipper out of the team, but said Carrick’s need to do so “means they’ve got into a situation that’s a mess”.
“I think (Carrick) was left with no choice,” Neville said on Sky Sports. “There has to be consequences for words like that when you speak about the manager. I think for Michael Carrick’s own sanity he’s got to take a strong stand.
“When football players speak out publicly, you’re only hearing one or two per cent of what they’re saying behind the scenes so you can imagine how bad it is.
“Lisandro Martinez and Bruno Fernandes in the last week have driven a bus through the whole hierarchy of the football club.
“The three most important people in a club are the owner, the sporting director and the manager and they’ve all been basically battered by the two most senior players in the dressing room, the World Cup winner and the captain.”
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