Manchester United round-up as a potential transfer target emerges and Michael Carrick defends his players

Manchester United's traumatic campaign continues with a Champions League clash against Roma. After Michael Carrick was given a stay of execution following the home defeat to Bournemouth, United suffered another Premier League loss on Saturday, going down 2-0 at Chelsea, where Lisandro Martinez was sent off.

The result left United just above the relegation zone on goal difference and facing a potential relegation battle. How much longer Carrick stays in the job remains to be seen, but positive results against Roma on Tuesday and Aston Villa on Sunday will help lift the mood of gloom around the club.

Roma will arrive at Old Trafford in buoyant mood after an excellent start to their Serie A campaign, which sees them third in the table and unbeaten after 10 games. In the Champions League, the Italian team have four points from three games to United's three points after back-to-back defeats to Atletico Madrid and Como.

Ahead of another crucial game for Carrick and United, here's a round-up of the latest news from Old Trafford…

'Contact made' with wonderkid

United have reportedly contacted Lennart Karl's representatives as the teenager continues to make waves at Bayern Munich. At just 18, the attacking midfielder has already made more than 50 appearances for Bayern and made his senior international debut for Germany earlier this year.

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However, recent comments by Bayern's honorary president, Uli Hoeness, haven't gone down well in the Karl's agent, former Germany international Michael Ballack, leading to speculation he could want out of the club. Hoeness said: "He's far from being a superstar. Young players need humility. Comparisons with Michael Olise obviously don’t do him any good. There's still a world of difference between them."

According to Bild, those have caused 'unrest' and alerted United, Liverpool and Arsenal to his potential availability. The trio are also said to have reached out to Karl to discuss his situation. Intriguingly, the same report adds that Karl could be available for as little as £50million. The youngster's contract expires in 2029.

Carrick defends Martinez

Carrick insists he has no reason to question Martinez's commitment despite his recent comments and performances. Having blasted director of football Jason Wilcox last month, the Argentine was sent off against Chelsea for a pair of bookings, one for kicking out at Morgan Rogers and another for catching Wesley Fofana with a stray arm.

Martinez is out of contract in the summer and, as things stand, it would be no surprise if he leaves the club. But Carrick does not think the 28-year-old has become a liability.

He said: "No, I've got no concerns about commitment at all. Things happen in football. Sometimes you do things, sometimes you make a decision, sometimes you make mistakes. But the commitment is not an issue for sure.

"I've said it before, the commitment of the players to the club, to me, to each other is something I don't question at all. We need to play better, we can make better decisions, but commitment's not a thing at all."

Carrick added there was no update on potential new contracts for Martinez and Bruno Fernandes, who will both be free to speak to foreign clubs in January.