Manchester United’s Carrick poised to end Fernandes stand-off before Chelsea game

Bruno Fernandes is expected to return to the Manchester United squad for the Premier League meeting with Chelsea this week, with manager Michael Carrick preparing to draw a line under their recent disagreement.

The Portuguese playmaker was left out of the side that faced Bournemouth after comments he made following the match against Como. His absence came as Manchester United’s hierarchy considered Carrick’s position and the manager’s future at Old Trafford.

According to the Mirror, Fernandes is now likely to be involved against Chelsea in the ninth round of the Premier League, after the club decided to give Carrick more time to halt the team’s decline.

Club officials, including Omar Berrada and Jason Wilcox, had held discussions about Carrick’s position. The decision to retain the manager appears also to have clarified Fernandes’ situation, with the atmosphere around Carrington reportedly moving towards a resolution.

The Athletic has also reported that the dispute between Carrick and Fernandes seems to be heading towards an end, potentially clearing the way for the Manchester United captain to play on 31 October 2026.

Asked to explain Fernandes’ omission against Bournemouth, Carrick said: “He is fit and available, but we decided to go with the team we played today. Unfortunately, we were unable to achieve the result we wanted.”

Manchester United’s situation became more difficult after they were beaten 3-0 by Bournemouth in the eighth round of the Premier League. The defeat left them 16th in the table on seven points.

The club have won once, drawn four times and lost three of their eight league matches. Fernandes’ possible return would therefore come as Carrick attempts to prevent the team’s difficult start from worsening.

Manchester United are scheduled to face Chelsea on 31 October 2026 in the Premier League.