Carrick and Fernandes hold clear-the-air talks as United prepare for Chelsea trip

Michael Carrick and Bruno Fernandes have held clear-the-air talks at Manchester United’s Carrington training ground, taking the first concrete step toward repairing a public rift that has deepened the club’s turbulent start to the season.

Fernandes was dropped entirely — not even named among the substitutes — for Sunday’s 3-0 defeat at Bournemouth, four days after publicly criticising Carrick’s tactics and the team’s lack of pressing following a 4-1 home loss to Como. Carrick described the omission as a “pure football” decision, but the timing left little doubt about the personal dimension of the fallout.

Despite Sunday’s result intensifying speculation that Carrick’s tenure was over, Manchester United opted against sacking the 45-year-old manager. He will take charge for Saturday’s trip to Chelsea, and Tuesday’s conversation between the two men is understood to have opened the door to Fernandes reclaiming his place in the starting XI.

Fernandes is said to have returned to something closer to his best in training over the past couple of days following a difficult fortnight. However, his form on the pitch has been a concern throughout the campaign — the reigning PFA Player of the Year has not scored in his last seven appearances, with his only Premier League goals coming in August, when he hit a hat-trick against Ipswich.

For the Bournemouth fixture, Carrick turned to summer signing Youri Tielemans and Mason Mount in midfield rather than the club captain, a selection that underlined the depth of the manager’s frustration. Whether Fernandes slots back into the XI at Stamford Bridge will be one of the most closely watched decisions of Carrick’s reign so far.