Manchester United will not sack Michael Carrick before the upcoming international break as they desperately look to stand by their under-pressure manager.

United extended their winless run to nine matches after a 2-0 defeat at Chelsea on Saturday which leaves them 17th in the Premier League table and only outside the relegation zone on goal difference.

There had been a belief that Carrick would be sacked last week but, with United still lacking a general consensus over who could replace him, the club opted to allow the 45-year-old to remain in charge for the Chelsea match.

United conceded twice in the second half either side of Lisandro Martinez’s sending off, leading to more fury directed to the attitude of Carrick’s players rather than the manager himself.

While United are still considering their options and potential replacements for Carrick, the support from fans over the head coach has prompted the club to hold fire on making a managerial change.

And, as confirmed by The Athletic, United have now ‘privately pledged’ to try and make it to the international break later this month before acting over Carrick’s future.

Man Utd hold off on Carrick sacking despite historic run of form

United are in the midst of their worst run of form in nearly 40 years but Carrick has found himself being applauded off the pitch by fans despite the run of form, with a belief from some supporters that the head coach is being let down by his players.

While there is an assertion from all sides that Carrick needs to improve in order to keep his job, the lack of an outstanding candidate to replace him has led to more patience over his future.

Eddie Howe is believed to be the top choice of director of football Jason Wilcox, however there is also support for Julian Nagelsmann, while the likes of Unai Emery and Antonio Conte are also being considered.

United’s next game is at home to Roma on Tuesday in the Champions League and a positive result will likely be imperative ahead of their final match before the international break against Aston Villa, which could spell the end of Carrick’s tenure.