Carrick and Fernandes hold clear-the-air talks at Manchester United

Manchester United manager Michael Carrick and club captain Bruno Fernandes held face-to-face talks yesterday morning at the training ground to clear the air, according to Sky Sports. Both have pledged to refocus their efforts on turning United's season around, with the discussions followed by a meeting involving the rest of the squad.

The discussions were described as open and honest, and Fernandes is now expected to feature in United's crucial Premier League clash against Chelsea at Stamford Bridge on Saturday. The Portuguese midfielder had been left as an unused substitute during the 3-0 defeat to Bournemouth last weekend.

It remains unclear whether Fernandes apologised for his public criticism of Carrick and his coaching staff's tactics following the 4-1 Champions League loss to Como a week ago.

The Red Devils are now without a win in eight consecutive matches across all competitions, suffering five defeats in that spell. Despite the dismal run, Carrick remains in charge for the time being.