Pressure is mounting on Michael Carrick at Manchester United after the club’s bad start to the campaign, particularly after their Champions League loss to Como.

There is a belief among some fans that several players should be shown the exit door, while also appointing a new man at the helm of the team.

Ruben Amorim was the last manager to suffer similar scrutiny and treatment, as Carrick is now facing.

Ahead of his first full season as Man United manager, Amorim infamously sent Marcus Rashford, Jadon Sancho, Alejandro Garnacho, Antony, and Tyrell Malacia to the ‘bomb squad’.

Now, Malacia has spoken out about the treatment of these players during this period of their careers.

Ruben Amorim’s ruthless treatment of the players in Manchester United’s ‘bomb squad’

Speaking to the BBC, Malacia has spoken about the treatment of the five players that Amorim sent to train on their own and with the youth squads at Carrington.

The Portuguese manager made it clear that the five of them were free to leave Old Trafford, with Antony making his way to Real Betis, Garnacho joining Chelsea in a permanent deal, Rashford departing for Barcelona, and Sancho going to Aston Villa, both on loan.

However, Malacia was the only player who was not able to secure an exit from Man United, and he would be stuck in the youth squads, not making a senior appearance until Boxing Day, 10 days before Amorim was sacked.

The Dutch defender believed he was going to get a chance to impress Amorim and be given time to compete for a place in the team, having returned to full fitness; however, the Portuguese manager sent him to the ‘bomb squad’.

Malacia said: “I don't know where that came from. I don't know if it was Ruben or higher up or anything, but I never said anything about it. I just kept working and doing my thing even though it was difficult sometimes training in a group of five.

"At some point Marcus, Garnacho, and even Antony left. Then I stayed on my own, training with the second team, even with the under-18s and below. It's tough. It's tough mentally.

"I could have said 'OK, I'm not coming into training'. But I thought 'that's not going to help me'. It's a reason for them to say 'this is the reason you are with them or training on your own'. I just kept my head down and did the work.

"I always stayed fit since I came back from my injury, but people didn't know that. They were like 'why is he not playing?'."

Tyrell Malacia’s difficulties under Michael Carrick

The return of Malacia to first-team action 10 days before the sacking of Amorim, and now the appointment of Carrick, may have encouraged the defender that he could have had a fresh start at the club.

However, this would not be the case as he only made two further substitute appearances for Manchester United over the remaining five months of the season. He would then leave the club at the end of the campaign upon the expiration of his contract. Now he plays his football in the MLS with FC Cincinnati.

Speaking on his final few months at the club, Malacia said: “I had a good conversation with Michael [Carrick] when he came. Obviously, I wanted to leave, then some injuries came so I couldn't leave because of the numbers in the squad.

"That was difficult to accept. I was like, 'I'm not going to play but I'm not allowed to leave so what's the point of me staying here'. Then he explained to me.

"At the end of the day everybody is there for themselves. I'm there for myself obviously in the first place, and then obviously the tea,m but also the manager is there for himself, he needs to save his job or do his job well.

"Still, I don't regret anything. I had a great time in my first season, and the people who worked there and the players I met there were amazing, so, nah, I really enjoyed my time."