Carrick not concerned about Martinez’s attitude as United prepare for Roma visit

The defender is expected to keep place after red card at Chelsea

WATCHING BRIEF: Michael Carrick looks on as his players atr put through their paces  during a training session at Carrington on Monday.  Pic: Martin Rickett/PA

Michael Carrick has insisted he is not concerned about Lisandro Martinez’s attitude despite the defender’s recent outburst aimed at the Manchester United hierarchy which was then followed by his reckless sending off in the defeat against Chelsea at the weekend.

Martinez, who was fined for his comments about United’s director of football, Jason Wilcox, is expected to keep his place for the visit of Roma in the Champions League on Tuesday as United aim to end their worst run in 38 years, having failed to win any of their past nine matches.

“I’ve got no concerns about commitment at all,” Carrick said of the Argentina World Cup winner. “Things happen in football, sometimes you do things, sometimes you make a decision, sometimes you make mistakes, sometimes it goes well for you, but the commitment is not an issue.” 

Away defeats against Atletico Madrid and Como have left United’s 21st in the Champions League league phase, with it felt that Carrick needs a positive result against Roma, as well as against Aston Villa in the Premier League on Sunday, to keep his job. Martinez is suspended for the visit of Unai Emery’s men following his red card at Stamford Bridge.

“I can’t look into the future, I don’t know what’s going to happen,” Carrick insisted. “That doesn’t change the way I feel, that’s how we’re preparing for the game tomorrow and I’m really looking forward to the game.

“You might think I’m crazy with the results we’ve had and what’s going on, but I genuinely can’t wait for the game tomorrow and that’s all I’m focused on. Whatever happens is going to happen after that, in whatever direction it goes in.” 

United’s most recent home game was the 3-0 defeat against Bournemouth, which concluded with the players being booed by the Stretford End. 

“In these tough times you can’t expect the fans 100,000% of the time to be happy and cheering when we’re not putting out results,” Kobbie Mainoo said. “We owe it to them to put the results out there for them to cheer again.

“I feel like our way to repay that [the manager’s support] is to also be behind the manager on the pitch and off it and fight for us and fight for us as a team.” 

Marcus Rashford and Luke Shaw will again be unavailable to face Roma through injury, although the former could return from a hip issue to face his former loan club Villa.

Long-term absentees Benjamin Sesko and Manuel Ugarte will miss the Roma encounter, as will Patrick Dorgu despite training on Monday for the first time since sustaining a hamstring injury in September.

Carrick said: “It’s great to have him back. He’s worked ever so hard to be back with the group but he won’t be involved tomorrow. We’ll see how he progresses through the week.”

Guardian