Manchester United host Roma at Old Trafford on Tuesday night (8pm GMT) on a run of nine games without a win, with Michael Carrick's job on the line, United 21st in the Champions League table and an unbeaten Roma side arriving in form.
United's crisis deepened at Chelsea on Saturday, a promising first half turning into a 2-0 defeat after Lisandro Martinez was sent off. Their winless run also includes back-to-back away defeats in this competition, 2-0 at Atletico Madrid and a chastening 4-1 reverse at Como, and their last victory of any kind was the 4-0 home win over Sabah on September 10.
BTFW reported this morning that United have contacted Eddie Howe, with Carrick expected to be trusted for Roma and Aston Villa before a decision in the international break. That makes Tuesday more than a league-phase fixture. It is, in effect, the first half of a two-game audition Carrick probably has to pass outright.
Team news: Fernandes up front, Martinez available in Europe
UEFA's predicted United line-up puts captain Bruno Fernandes at the front of the attack, supported by Bryan Mbeumo, Youri Tielemans and Matheus Cunha, with Kobbie Mainoo and Carlos Baleba behind them and Senne Lammens in goal behind Diogo Dalot, Leny Yoro, Harry Maguire and Noussair Mazraoui.
Martinez is available in Europe because his Chelsea red card carries only a domestic ban, although UEFA's predicted side leaves him out. Benjamin Sesko, Manuel Ugarte and Luke Shaw are out, Marcus Rashford is listed out with a hip injury and Amad Diallo is doubtful. Patrick Dorgu returned to training on Monday after five weeks out, but UEFA still lists him among the absentees for this match, so a start would be a surprise — training again and being ready for Roma are two different things.
Roma's predicted side is led by Donyell Malen, with Matias Soule and Bryan Cristante behind him. Manu Kone, Lorenzo Pellegrini and goalkeeper Mile Svilar are out, and Paulo Dybala is doubtful with a calf injury after missing the weekend win.
Roma smell blood at Old Trafford
Roma are 15th in the table, six places above United, after beating Slovan Bratislava 4-0, drawing 1-1 at Fenerbahce and losing a 4-3 thriller to Real Madrid. Domestically they are third in Serie A, unbeaten with seven wins and three draws, and they warmed up with a 5-2 win at Udinese.
They are also Serie A's top scorers with 28 goals in 10 matches, and Malen is the sharp end of it: three Champions League goals this season and 11 in all competitions. Football365 notes Roma have lost every previous Champions League visit to Old Trafford, but this is plainly their best chance to break that run against a fragile United defence.
So what does Tuesday decide?
A win could lift United back into the top 16 and the seeded knockout places, while Roma can climb towards the top eight with a victory. The bigger consequence sits in the dugout. Lose again, especially heavily, and the Howe contact stops looking like contingency planning and starts looking like a timeline — with Aston Villa still to come before the break. Win, and Carrick buys himself the second game, the break, and a genuine argument that the Chelsea performance was a start rather than another false dawn.
Beyond the Final Whistle: This is the night Carrick's United either stand up or step aside. Roma are everything United are not right now — unbeaten, free-scoring and certain of who they are — and a fragile Old Trafford crowd will turn quickly if Malen scores first. Our verdict: Carrick does not need a performance, he needs a result, and anything less than a win makes the international break a changing of the guard. Can United finally win a football match when their manager needs it most?
