Carrick faces Villa test as Bruno Fernandes denies rift talk

Manchester United ended a nine-game winless run in all competitions on Tuesday with a 3-2 Champions League comeback victory over Roma, a result that has eased some of the pressure on manager Michael Carrick heading into Sunday's Premier League meeting with Aston Villa.

Bruno Fernandes scored from the penalty spot during that win and has since moved to dismiss reports suggesting he and Carrick held clear-the-air talks after a bench demotion that followed the midfielder's public criticism of the club's tactics during a defeat at Como last month.

"Between me and the manager, there were reports that we had cleared the air afterwards, when none of that happened," Fernandes said. "The manager made the decision to put me on the bench because I wasn't performing that well."

Fernandes, 32, accepted the demotion that followed his comments, telling reporters that if it was intended as punishment, it was justified. "Everyone felt that was a punishment for the words I'd said, and if it was, it was right. The manager is the one who makes the decisions. I have to accept them and move forward with that," he said.

He insisted his belief in Carrick and the squad had not wavered despite a difficult run. "It doesn't change the belief I have in the manager, the staff and every player at this club, and it doesn't change my aim to win every game that I have ahead of me," Fernandes said.

The captain also pushed back on the idea that the Roma win was about protecting any individual's position. "We don't need to save anyone's job. The club needed that win. The players needed that win. It's something we needed as a group of players, together with the staff," he said, adding that the squad had faced "a lot of speculation in the media, a lot of lies around many things that have happened at this club."

Paul Merson, writing for Sky Sports, said Carrick needs Fernandes fully onside and has challenged Matheus Cunha to produce more consistent performances following the win over Roma.

According to Independent Sport's Miguel Delaney, encouraging underlying numbers from the Roma comeback and uncertainty over potential replacements have left a growing sense inside the club that Carrick could survive the international break even if United were to lose to Villa on Sunday.

That framing suggests Sunday's fixture carries weight beyond three points, with Carrick's immediate future tied to how his side performs against Unai Emery's Villa at Old Trafford.

Manchester United next face Aston Villa in the Premier League on Sunday, a game Delaney's reporting indicates may not be as decisive for Carrick's position as recent results have implied.