Manchester United say they have moved on from Lisandro Martínez’s public criticism, and the defender remains available for Sunday’s trip to Leeds United.
Michael Carrick laid out that message on Friday at Carrington training ground, where he said the squad had trained well and the issue had not carried over into the day-to-day work. Martínez’s interview after the 2-0 UEFA Champions League defeat to Atlético Madrid had created a brief storm inside the club, but Carrick said the players were in good spirits and that the matter had not distracted them.
“We’ve moved on,” Carrick said, adding that the group had responded with “a really good feeling around the squad” and that it had moved on “pretty quickly.” He also said comments made at the wrong time should not unsettle the environment he is trying to build, and dismissed Wayne Rooney’s suggestion that the episode could rip the dressing room apart.
The dispute did not disappear on its own. Talks on Thursday involving Martínez, Carrick, Jason Wilcox and Omar Berrada ended with an apology, a fine and nothing more, showing the club chose discipline over escalation. Internally, the concern is less about the criticism itself than the fact it was aired in public, even though there is broad agreement that the squad has weaknesses and that the defeat to Atlético exposed them.
That is what makes Friday’s message matter now. Manchester United are trying to keep a difficult start to the campaign from turning into something larger, and Carrick’s tone suggested the club believes the issue can be contained before Sunday. Martínez is still in line to play at Elland Road, which means the next test is not whether he is available, but whether the apology and fine are enough to close the matter inside the dressing room.
