According to a report by TeamTalk on Thursday October 22, 2026, after Wednesday's 4-1 Champions League loss to Como, Manchester United's Bruno Fernandes made some controversial comments, but the club reportedly decided against removing him as captain.

After going winless for seven games in a row, the Red Devils are currently going through a tough patch. Their most recent setback has put Michael Carrick under even more scrutiny, and some are wondering if he will remain at Old Trafford.

After United's loss to Como, Fernandes spoke out about his dissatisfaction with the team's play, citing United's defensive stance, lack of pressing intensity, and failure to generate enough offensive opportunities.

Fernandes questioned the strategy employed by United's coaching staff, explaining that it was a decision to not press man-to-man and occasionally leave space behind in order to try to get the ball.

The Portuguese midfielder maintained that assessing Carrick's tactical decisions was the job of the coaching staff when asked if he had made any mistakes. He refused to directly accuse his manager.

"That's the manager and staff's responsibility to determine, not mine," Fernandes said, before implying that United needed more bravery when taking on teams that could exploit defenses.

It is widely believed that Carrick will start for Manchester United against Bournemouth on Sunday, but his position is still unclear after hearing his remarks. Reports indicate that club officials are currently considering other options.

Rob Dorsett of Sky Sports reports that United have no immediate intentions to punish Fernandes for publicly criticizing the team's poor performance or remove him from captaincy.

Dorsett reported that Bruno Fernandes would not be disciplined by the club despite his criticism of the coaching staff following the loss to Como, and that he will not be stripped of the #mufc captaincy.

According to the reporter, club officials were let down by Fernandes' comments, but overall, people felt that he had legitimately expressed their anger over how United lost.

Despite reports that senior figures are becoming increasingly concerned about the team's ongoing struggles, Carrick is expected to keep the captaincy for Sunday's match against Bournemouth.

Manchester United has not yet decided whether he will continue in that role for future matches, and talks about possible replacements are ongoing behind the scenes, so his future after that encounter is also uncertain.