Manchester United captain Bruno Fernandes said the squad’s focus is not on protecting Michael Carrick’s position after Tuesday’s 3-2 Champions League comeback victory over Roma.

The result ended a 10-match winless run across all competitions for United. It came amid strong reports that Carrick had been given two games to secure his future before the meeting with the Italian side.

Quick facts

• Manchester United beat Roma 3-2 in the Champions League on Tuesday night.
• The victory was United’s first in 10 matches in all competitions.
• Reports had suggested Michael Carrick faced a two-game deadline to retain his job.
• Fernandes said media claims of a rift between him and Carrick were untrue.

Fernandes said the win was required by the club and its players rather than being an effort to rescue the manager. “We don’t have to save anybody’s job,” he said. “The club needed this victory and the players needed it too.”

He said the team had been working intensely to reverse its poor run. Fernandes acknowledged that the period had been difficult, with persistent media attention surrounding the club.

The Portugal international also rejected reports of conflict between himself and Carrick. He said there had been “a lot of lies” about alleged issues between them, adding that they had resolved any concerns directly.

Fernandes explained that Carrick subsequently chose to leave him on the substitutes’ bench because of his performances. Many observers interpreted that move as punishment for comments Fernandes had made.

“If it was, it was deserved,” Fernandes said. “The manager takes the decisions.” He added that the episode had not weakened his confidence in Carrick, the coaching staff or his teammates, nor altered his objective of winning every remaining match.