Carrick keeps Martinez in United squad after criticism of club hierarchy

Michael Carrick has confirmed that Lisandro Martinez remains in Manchester United’s squad following the defender’s public criticism of the club’s hierarchy. According to BBC Sport, the United head coach said the group had not been disrupted by the controversy and insisted that the club had moved on from the incident.

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Martinez made his comments after United’s 2–0 Champions League defeat by Atletico Madrid, directing criticism at the role of technical director. The remarks brought renewed attention to director of football Jason Wilcox. Martinez subsequently apologised for when he had spoken, but not for the substance of his comments, BBC Sport reported. Wilcox took part in the discussions that led to the defender’s statement.

Speaking at United’s Carrington training ground, Carrick challenged outside assessments of the squad’s mood. He said former players and other commentators did not necessarily know what was happening inside the club, and described the group as being in a better place than he had seen for some time. Those were Carrick’s assessments of the atmosphere, rather than an independently established account of every player’s reaction.

The manager’s response followed criticism from former United captain Wayne Rooney, who warned that Martinez’s remarks could damage dressing-room unity. Roy Keane and Gary Neville had also commented on the episode. Carrick maintained that the emotion behind the defender’s intervention had not distracted the team from its work, while acknowledging that players needed to express their feelings in an appropriate way.

Carrick also dismissed the suggestion that Martinez’s failure to name Wilcox in his subsequent statement prevented the matter from being resolved. He said the defender had recognised a mistake and that this was sufficient for the group to move forward. Asked whether Wilcox should address the media himself, Carrick declined to make that judgement and said he was comfortable answering questions in his own leadership role.

The decision means Martinez will be included in the squad for Sunday’s Premier League visit to Leeds. United are on a five-match winless run, adding a results problem to the public debate over the defender’s remarks. Carrick stressed that improving results was a responsibility shared across the club, rather than a matter concerning only his own position.