Ruben Amorim has returned to England with his successor fighting to save his job

Ruben Amorim has expressed his "love" for Manchester United after returning to England with AC Milan. The Portuguese coach, whose side face Bournemouth in the Europa League on Thursday, is back in the country with his successor, Michael Carrick, on the brink of suffering the same fate as him.

Amorim was axed in January after 14 months at the helm with United sixth in the Premier League table after falling out with director of football Jason Wilcox. Under Carrick, United's poor start to the season plumbed new depths as they were thrashed 4-1 by Como in the Champions League.

Amid disharmony in the camp, with Bruno Fernandes publicly calling out tactics, Carrick could be relieved of his duties before Sunday's game against Bournemouth. As he prepared to take charge of a team at a Premier League venue again, Amorim insisted United remain close to his heart but wouldn't be drawn on the latest Old Trafford crisis.

He said: "The most important thing is that I am here as the manager of Milan, and I need to respect that. What I said when I signed for Manchester United, that I love that club and the people there, remains true.

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"What happened since doesn't change that. That's all I want to say on the matter. I've moved on and I'm at another great club now. My club, Milan, has plenty of issues to address.

"I'm focused on my own life and our collective journey here because, as you know, at any big club, challenges are always just around the corner. So, I am fully focused on my work, my team, my players and my staff, not on what’s happening at another club.

"But, as I said, it doesn't matter what happened in the past with Manchester United. My feelings from when I first joined that club remain exactly the same. I still love that club."

On paper, Amorim has made a solid start at Milan, who sit fourth in Serie A, four points off leaders Inter. They've had a mixed start to their Europa League campaign, with a home defeat to Benfica followed by a handsome away win against RB Salzburg.

However, the Portuguese coach has come in for criticism following some unconvincing displays, while there has even been speculation he could be sacked for a second time this year. On facing a Bournemouth side enjoying their maiden European campaign, he said: "We're going there to win. There are always technical and tactical aspects that we need to improve and we still have a long way to go.

"Bournemouth has quality and plays at a high tempo. They have some excellent players who are strong in one-on-one situations. They've made some changes since I faced them as manager of Manchester United, but they haven't lost their identity."