Manchester United chiefs are set to hold a meeting at Carrington early next week to discuss Michael Carrick's future as first-team manager.

The Red Devils head into the international break third from bottom in the Premier League after another disappointing result against Aston Villa.

Red Devils director of football Jason Wilcox now faces a significant decision over whether to continue backing Carrick or make a change in the dugout.

What is the latest on Michael Carrick's future at Old Trafford?

United played out an entertaining but frustrating 4-4 draw with Villa at Old Trafford on Sunday, having twice fought back from two-goal deficits.

Unai Emery's side raced into a 2-0 lead inside four minutes, but Carrick's team responded to level the scores before half-time. Villa then struck twice again early in the second half, only for United to produce another comeback and rescue a point with two late goals.

However, the result leaves United with just eight points from their opening ten league matches, leaving them just one point off Crystal Palace at the foot of the table, with the Eagles now planning to make a managerial change of their own.

TEAMtalk journalist Graeme Bailey reports that a meeting between United's hierarchy is scheduled for early next week, with Carrick's position firmly on the agenda.

Bailey said the meeting had already been planned before the recent fixtures, while the club had previously considered Carrick's position following the AFC Bournemouth match.

Wilcox, who has reportedly backed the current manager, is understood to be the key decision-maker and will ultimately determine whether Carrick remains in charge.

United have also conducted due diligence on potential alternatives, including Eddie Howe, Julian Nagelsmann, Antonio Conte and Emery.

International break could be the perfect time to sack Carrick

If United are going to make a managerial change, the timing of the international break offers a potentially useful opportunity.

With domestic football paused for a week, a new manager would have some breathing space to assess the squad, introduce initial ideas and begin preparing for the next run of fixtures without immediately being thrown into another match, with a tough trip to Anfield to face Liverpool next up.

However, changing the manager would not automatically resolve United's deeper problems. Whoever arrives would inherit the same squad deficiencies and would need significant backing to make meaningful improvements.

Emery, for example, appears an expensive and unlikely option given an imminent new deal has signalled a clear commitment to Aston Villa, while other targets would also need convincing that Old Trafford offers a stable project.

Wilcox therefore faces a 'huge decision' as Bailey explains - either continue with Carrick and hope the performances improve, or use the international break to give a replacement the chance to make an early impact.