Michael Carrick attempted to prevent Matheus Cunha from landing himself in further hot water by directing him towards the tunnel following Manchester United's dramatic comeback victory over Roma. Cunha was the hero as United overturned a 2-0 deficit to defeat the Italian outfit 3-2 at Old Trafford in the Champions League on Tuesday evening.

Roma stormed into a two-goal advantage by the 17th minute courtesy of Matias Soule's opener and Donyell Malen's spot-kick.

Having been chaotic during the opening period, United rallied after the interval, with Bruno Fernandes converting from the penalty spot before Cunha struck twice. The Brazilian coolly finished from close quarters to level at 2-2 before hammering a second past the goalkeeper at the near post.

His emotions overwhelmed him and he received a booking for removing his shirt and leaping into the supporters to celebrate. Cunha subsequently collected a second yellow card for a reckless challenge on Leonardo Balerdi.

United navigated the closing stages with 10 men to break a run of nine matches without victory and relieve some of the mounting pressure on Carrick. There were scenes of elation at the final whistle, with the players rejoicing together on the turf.

However, Carrick's short exchange with Cunha seemed at odds with the mood. The United manager approached his forward and evidently instructed him to go down the tunnel, rather than allowing him to join in the celebrations with his colleagues and the supporters.

It appears Carrick was simply keen to prevent Cunha from facing any additional sanctions, as the regulations prohibit dismissed players from stepping onto the pitch straight after the final whistle. They are required to stay in the spectators' section or the changing room.

Having been shown red, Cunha will be absent from United's next Champions League fixture against Sporting CP on November 25 in Portugal. Yet Carrick refused to condemn his goalscorer too severely.

Carrick 'takes responsibility' as position hangs in balance

"Disappointed with how it finished but, again, it just shows how much he cares and he's willing to do, when he's in that frame of mind and he's in that mood, that's why we want him here," Carrick said.

Speaking to CBS Sports Golazo, Cunha joked that his celebration was "too Brazilian", in displaying such emotion, before continuing: "What a magic day. Of course, apart from the red card.

"But yeah, everything that you can bring for this club and then always dream to be part of something unbelievable. "And come here and then have this comeback in this very hard moment of the season.

"Today was a blessed day for me. I always talk inside if I need to be this guy to have the responsibility in the hard moments, I'll be there."

United take on Aston Villa in the Premier League this Sunday at Old Trafford, before embarking on a two-week international break. Cunha will be free to feature against Villa, as the suspension applies exclusively to UEFA competitions.