Manchester United captain Bruno Fernandes has played down speculation of a rift with head coach Michael Carrick, saying the two have resolved their differences following tensions over his earlier remarks.
Speaking after United’s 3-2 comeback win over AS Roma in the UEFA Champions League, Fernandes explained that Carrick’s decision to leave him on the bench was based on his performances and not a personal disagreement.
“It’s been tough, there’s been a lot of speculation in the media. A lot of lies around many things that have happened between me and the manager, that we have cleared the air, then after that the manager took the decision to put me on the bench because I’m not performing. That’s fair,” Fernandes told Amazon Prime.
The Portugal international admitted that some interpreted his omission as a response to his earlier comments but maintained that Carrick was entitled to make the selection decision.
“Everyone thought that was a punishment for the words that I had. And, if it was, it was right. The manager is the one who makes the decisions,” he added.
Fernandes also dismissed claims that the victory was aimed at securing Carrick’s position, stressing that the result mattered to the entire team.
“We don’t need to save anyone’s job. The club needed that win, the players needed that win. We have been working so hard to get out of this situation all together,” he said.
The win brought United’s nine-match winless streak across all competitions to an end, providing a timely boost for Carrick’s side after a challenging run of results.
