Bruno Fernandes is set to return to the Man Utd starting line-up against Chelsea at the weekend as captain, Michael Carrick has confirmed.

The Red Devils are currently on a winless run of eight matches in all competitions with their 3-0 defeat to Bournemouth a new low under Carrick.

Despite expectations that Carrick would be sacked following the embarrassing loss at home to the Cherries, Man Utd have given him a ‘stay of execution’.

Fernandes was dropped for that match after he questioned Carrick and his coaching staff’s tactics during their 4-1 Champions League defeat to Como last Wednesday.

There were rumours that Fernandes could be stripped of his captaincy, while there is already speculation that the Man Utd midfielder could be sold in the January transfer window.

However, Carrick appeared to suggest that Fernandes would keep the captaincy and start against Chelsea as the Man Utd boss confirmed “he’s an important player for this group. He has been and he will be”.

Carrick told reporters on Fernandes: “Listen, we’re clear with the situation of the team, and as a football club at the moment.

“As I’ve just said, he’s an important player for this group. He has been and he will be. Between us, we’ve got to make a difference and we’ve got to push things in a good direction.

“He’s fully committed to this football club, he’s fully committed to making things better. It doesn’t change things.

“He’s the one that’s kind of led the team so well for many a game and many a year, and he’ll continue to do that.”

Explaining his decision to drop Fernandes for Man Utd’s match at home to Bournemouth, Carrick said: “It was a decision, as I said, for what we felt for the game. That’s it. Bruno is fully committed to this football club, and there are absolutely no issues with that. We move forward, we make decisions as we go, and we’re looking forward to the game on Saturday now.”

Carrick on Man Utd noise: “I see the things that I need to see. I don’t look for it”

When asked about the noise around his Man Utd team and how he deals with it, Carrick added: “I don’t see it, really. I see the things that I need to see. I don’t look for it. It doesn’t really help in any way. I’ve said before, I don’t see it, really.

“I’ve said before, I care about what the supporters think, what it feels like in the stadium, them travelling to come and see us and support us.

“I care about what we give them and what they see. I genuinely don’t take notice of anything else. I know this job, I know what it brings, I know what we need to do to be better.

“I don’t need anyone else to tell me. I care about what it feels like in the stadium, them travelling to games for us, to come and see us and support us.

“I care about what we give them, what we offer them and what they see. I genuinely don’t take any notice of anything else. I know this job, I know what it brings, I know what we need to do really to be better.

“I don’t need anyone else to tell me anything else.”