He was red-carded against Chelsea for two yellows, one for hauling back Morgan Rogers and another for carelessly catching Wesley Fofana with a stray arm and conceding a penalty. The Argentine's deal expires in the summer but could depart beforehand after Barcelona were linked with a January move.

Due to La Liga's financial regulations, the Catalans would need to offload a player to accommodate Martinez. According to Marca, the player most likely to be sold is left-back Alejandro Balde, who is already on United's radar. He came close to moving to Old Trafford during the summer but opted to remain at Barca and compete for his position.

A swap arrangement involving Martinez and Balde could be beneficial for all parties. In the opinion of some observers, Martinez's conduct suggests he is seeking an exit from Old Trafford, though Carrick maintains he harbours no doubts about the 28-year-old's state of mind.

"But the commitment is not an issue for sure. I've said it before, the commitment of the players to the club, to me, to each other is something I don't question at all. We need to play better, we can make better decisions, but commitment's not a thing at all."