Michael Carrick takes fresh swipe at referees as Man United face defensive crisis for Chelsea match

Michael Carrick has expressed profound disappointment regarding recent refereeing decisions that have left Manchester United without key defenders Harry Maguire and Lisandro Martinez for their crucial trip to Chelsea.

The third-placed Red Devils are vying for a return to European football’s top tier, with the Premier League’s top five teams set to qualify for next season’s Champions League.

United currently hold a seven-point advantage over sixth-placed Chelsea ahead of Saturday evening’s encounter at Stamford Bridge. The suspensions of Maguire and Martinez exacerbate an already challenging defensive situation, compounding the long-term absence of fellow centre-back Matthijs de Ligt.

Martinez received a red card during Monday’s 2-1 home defeat by rivals Leeds, incurring a three-game ban for violent conduct after pulling Dominic Calvert-Lewin’s hair. The decision followed a VAR review that prompted referee Paul Tierney to consult the pitchside monitor.

Maguire, meanwhile, missed the Leeds match after being sent off against Bournemouth, with his reaction to that incident leading to an additional one-game ban from the Football Association this week.

Carrick did not mince words regarding the officiating.

“To be honest, there’s not much we can react to. Massively disappointed, of course,” he stated. “I think I’ve had a few reasons to be disappointed in a big way over those type of situations over the last couple of weeks or three weeks.

“But obviously now we’ve got to move on. The decisions have been made, it’s something that we’re really disappointed with in many ways, but that’s it now. We’ve got to move on and we will do.”

The manager had previously labelled the decision to send off Martinez as “one of the worst I’ve seen,” and the Press Association understands United had intended to appeal the dismissal.

While Carrick sidestepped questions about whether an appeal was formally lodged, he confirmed the Argentina international would be unavailable for the Chelsea fixture.

“We’re obviously disappointed,” Carrick reiterated. “We didn’t agree with it. I think it was pretty obvious how I felt after the game, and I still feel that way. Yeah, listen, I don’t want to go into it now. I think it is what it is.

“We’ve been hit with some decisions and, at the end of the day, now we’ve got to accept it and move on, whether we like them or not.” When asked directly if Martinez would feature against Chelsea, Carrick simply replied: “No.”

Further defensive concerns have emerged with Leny Yoro reportedly suffering an injury, as he was not seen travelling with the squad to London on Friday. This potential setback would only deepen Carrick’s defensive headache.

Patrick Dorgu remains sidelined as he continues rehabilitation from a hamstring injury sustained in January. However, Kobbie Mainoo, who missed the Leeds defeat due to a training issue, was spotted with the travelling group.

Providing an update on the injured players, Carrick said: “Patrick’s going well, he’s rehabbing well, he’s kind of on track, but he’s not with us in terms of training yet, but he’s back on the pitch. That’s positive and he’s doing really well.

“Kobbie, we’re working towards it. He’s done a little bit, so there’s a decision to be made there.”