"It’s done. We’ve moved on from that. It was one of those things." Michael Carrick said that after Lisandro Martínez apologised on Thursday, following talks with club bosses, and the defender is now in contention to play against Leeds on Sunday. Carrick also confirmed he is available for Manchester United's trip to Elland Road, with the row now being treated as closed before Leeds vs Manchester United.
Carrick draws a line under the row
The manager made the tone of the response clear enough. "As a group we’ve moved on. It’s really not a drama for the group. The squad have trained really well and they are in good spirits," he said, which is the sort of message United needed to get out before a game with real pressure attached to it.
Martinez has not been short of minutes either. He has played 450 minutes across his last five matches, and his Premier League average rating this season is 6.69. In the Champions League, that rises to 7.32. That does not settle the debate about how big the fallout was, but it does show he has still been operating as a regular part of the side rather than someone pushed aside.
Selection issues still remain
Martinez being available does not mean the rest of the squad is suddenly clean. Luke Shaw and Kobbie Mainoo both missed the Atletico defeat through injury, while Benjamin Sesko is still absent. Carrick has one player back in the mix, but he is still working around gaps elsewhere.
That wider problem sits alongside a poor run in the league, with United 13th after six matches. Leeds are 7th after six, so Sunday is not a soft landing for a side trying to steady itself. Carrick has at least ended the Martinez issue before the trip, and if United are going to get something at Elland Road, they may need the defender involved rather than standing it out on the edge of the noise.
Written by Jack Mercer with AI-assisted research, cross-checked against 3 outlets. How we work →
