Carrick to lead Manchester United against Roma in Champions League tie

Michael Carrick will remain in charge of Manchester United for Tuesday’s Champions League match against Roma at Old Trafford despite Saturday’s 2-0 defeat at Chelsea. His position is expected to be reviewed during the international break after the next round of Premier League matches.

United sit 17th in the Premier League with seven points, above the relegation zone only on goal difference, having failed to win in nine games and made their poorest start to a season since 1988. The 45-year-old head coach narrowly avoided dismissal last Monday after Jason Wilcox and Omar Berrada met at the training ground to discuss his future, with the director of football and the chief executive deciding he should be given a chance to change the club’s form and results.

There remains a view within the hierarchy that Carrick can still transform fortunes, and United’s travelling support were still backing him at the end of the defeat at Stamford Bridge on Saturday. After that game the head coach indicated he expected to remain in position for the Roma match and said: "We’ve got to move forward and win matches, it’s as simple as that."

Eddie Howe is understood to be Wilcox’s preferred candidate should Carrick be sacked; contact between the parties is believed to have been made. The former Newcastle manager is reported to be open to taking the job subject to negotiations and would cost about £3m in compensation to Newcastle.

Julian Nagelsmann, the former Germany and Bayern Munich head coach, is highly regarded by Christopher Vivell, United’s director of recruitment, who is believed to have sounded out his fellow German. Nagelsmann and Vivell previously worked together at RB Leipzig.

Carrick will lead United against Roma on Tuesday at Old Trafford, and his role is set to be reassessed during the international break after United host Aston Villa next Sunday.