Steven Gerrard suggests it will be “tough” for Michael Carrick to survive the international break if Manchester United lose to Aston Villa on Sunday.

Many assumed Carrick was done after the 3-0 defeat to Bournemouth at Old Trafford followed the 4-1 Champions League humiliation at the hands of Como.

But crisis talks between Sir Jim Ratcliffe, Jason Wilcox, Christopher Vivell and Omar Berrada granted him a ‘stay of execution’.

The blame for the 2-0 defeat to Chelsea could be laid almost entirely at the door of Lisandro Martinez, which meant no change of tack was necessary – they would wait for the international break to make a decision on his future.

The 3-2 comeback win over Roma has eased the tension at Manchester United and the pressure on Carrick.

The Athletic’s Laurie Whitwell hinted that Carrick’s “got the job” for an extended period, while a report on Saturday claimed there have been ‘no direct talks’ with alternatives.

But Gerrard evidently believes Carrick could be sacked during the international break if he fails to get a result against Villa.

“Sometimes a performance against a certain opposition in a certain way can give the board a little bit more belief a little bit more hope,” Gerrard said on TNT Sports.

“Michael is having a tough time, and I think the next league game is crucial. I think if he can get that win, I think everyone will think this might be the few stepping stones for them to get into better form.

“But everyone knows what a defeat [in] the last game before an international break could do. If you lose that on the back of not winning a nine in the league, I think it could be tough for him.”

But Gerrard also believes Carrick is far from the “biggest problem” at Old Trafford, as he took aim at the players and the club’s hierarchy.

“They’ve had numerous managers in the last five or six years that haven’t really been able to turn that fortune around,” he added.

“I think Mourinho came the closest finished second in the league and obviously won in Europe, so it’s a difficult job at the moment because I don’t think it’s just a problem with the manager or the coach and stuff.

“I think it’s a group of players that have been really inconsistent that haven’t given this club enough, and there’s also a lot of problems from above as well.

“I said recently that Manchester United have got numerous problems not just one and I don’t think Michael Carrick’s the biggest problem there.”