Michael Carrick gives cryptic response to experimental Manchester United line up
Manchester United manager Michael Carrick has explained his team selection but didn’t give too much away about Bruno Fernandes’ position tonight.
The Red Devils take on Atletico Madrid in the Champions League and it seems like Carrick is going for something quite different with his tactics.
When asked about the Man Utd line up, Carrick explained that he wanted more control in midfield, with summer signings Carlos Baleba and Andrey Santos starting together for the first time.
Youri Tielemans has been moved into what looks like a more advanced role, but it seems he’s playing centrally, while Fernandes has been shifted out wide.
Manchester United’s experimental line up vs Atletico Madrid
See below for how BBC Sport have reported the United line up, though Carrick would not clarify precisely where Fernandes was playing…
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Carrick was asked to confirm Fernandes will play on the right. He responded: “We’ll have to wait and see.” #mufc https://t.co/ipVikA2u6V
— Steven Railston (@StevenRailston) October 13, 2026
“We want a lot more control in the game. At certain times, we have been too open and we wanted to change that,” Carrick said, as quoted by Steven Railston of the Manchester Evening News.
On Fernandes’ position, he added: “We’ll have to wait and see.”
United need a better result and performance tonight, so Carrick will really be judged on how well this slightly strange line up clicks.
MUFC only managed a 1-1 draw at home to Tottenham at the weekend, and it’s clear that Carrick needed to try something different.
Still, Atletico will be a difficult opponent, so it’s a risky time to be using a key player like Fernandes in a potentially unfamiliar role.
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