Michael Carrick has said Bruno Fernandes was left out of Manchester United's starting line-up for "pure football" reasons, days after the captain publicly questioned the manager's tactics following a 4-1 defeat by Como.
Fernandes was named among the substitutes for Sunday's Premier League fixture against Bournemouth at Old Trafford. The decision came after United's seventh consecutive game without a win, a run that prompted Carrick to apologise to supporters.
Fernandes criticises tactics after Como defeat
Speaking to TNT Sports after the Como loss, Fernandes said it was "a decision from the staff to not press man-to-man".
"I think sometimes we have to be more brave under pressure, take a risk of getting that press very high and making them uncomfortable, as they did to us," he added. "The centre-back was coming to mark me all the way into my own half. I think sometimes we had to do that as a team and we were not really able to do it."
Carrick defends decision
At his pre-match press conference on Friday, Carrick spoke about the importance of unity and putting the club above any individual. When asked whether he would strip Fernandes of the captaincy, he said: "I'll always do what's best for the football club. If I've spoken to (Fernandes) or haven't spoken to him, I don't think this is the time to go into too much detail."
Asked on Sunday whether Fernandes had been dropped for football reasons or something else, Carrick told Sky Sports: "Pure football."
"When you have options it's always a difficult decision," he said. "We have to make the right one for today and the team to get that performance we want."
Sunday marked the first Premier League match this season in which Fernandes has started on the bench. He has scored four goals in 11 appearances across all competitions.
