Carrick arrives at Carrington in training kit as United fail to resolve his future

Michael Carrick arrived at Manchester United’s Carrington training ground at 7:30am on Tuesday morning dressed in his training kit, yet the club remained unable to confirm whether he would actually take the session — an extraordinary situation that reflects the unresolved uncertainty over his future.

The 45-year-old followed his usual routine by driving through the gates, giving at least the outward impression he intended to work, with his players also due to report for the first training session of the week. But as of Monday evening, club officials had still not confirmed his status.

The confusion stems from a day of crisis talks on Monday that failed to produce a conclusion. Carrick had been widely expected to be sacked following Sunday’s 3-0 home defeat to Bournemouth at Old Trafford — a result that extended United’s winless run to eight games across all competitions. The club have won just two of their opening 12 matches this season, a sequence that also includes a heavy Champions League defeat in Como during the week.

Chief executive Omar Berrada and director of football Jason Wilcox arrived at Carrington just before 9am on Monday. Carrick himself arrived at 1:50pm to watch the Under-21s face Hull City in a behind-closed-doors friendly, then left at 5pm alongside his son Jacey, who is in the academy — roughly half an hour after Wilcox had departed.

Despite the flurry of activity, no firm decision was reached, leaving United in the remarkable position of being unable to tell their own players who would be leading training the following morning.