Michael Carrick still faces an uncertain future at Old Trafford as Manchester United head coach after their wild 4-4 draw with Aston Villa in the Premier League

Three potential candidates to replace Michael Carrick have already rejected Manchester United.

Their current head coach faces an uncertain fortnight during this season's second international break, with United in the Premier League relegation zone. Eight points from their opening 10 league matches leave them 17th in the table, with no club having won fewer games than them.

Five draws are all that have kept them above Crystal Palace and Sunderland, with the latest coming by drawing 4-4 against Aston Villa at Old Trafford. United twice overcame two-goal deficits to equalise, with Patrick Dorgu scoring their fourth in the 96th minute.

Yet even that point proved insufficient to drag them clear of the bottom three, where they will remain until at least their next outing away at Liverpool on 22nd November. Many had expected Carrick to be dismissed following last month's 3-0 thrashing by Bournemouth. His side have since fallen to Chelsea, battled back to defeat Roma, and shared the spoils with Villa. For now, he retains his position.

However, reports indicate his future is being reviewed in a meeting today, with further discussions expected amongst senior figures at the club throughout the international break. Those talks began after the Bournemouth match and are now being held again after United delayed their decision until after the Villa game, with that deadline having passed.

Should Carrick be given his marching orders, United will need a successor ready and waiting. However, the club are yet to settle on a No. 1 target while three coaches liked by the hierarchy have already turned United down.

Unai Emery

It was Unai Emery's Villa who nearly delivered what might have proved a fatal blow to Carrick's reign on Sunday. Reports had indicated the Spaniard was the preferred candidate to replace the Englishman.

Emery has proved transformative at Villa Park, steering them to Europa League triumph last season. United were believed to be weighing up an approach for him if Carrick were to be removed, though he is now poised to commit his future to Villa with a new contract.

Chants of "10 more years, 10 more years, Unai Emery" rang out from the away section on Sunday, with the 55-year-old currently engaged in discussions with his present employers to prolong his tenure beyond 2029 - when his existing agreement expires.

Pursuing Emery would have presented United with considerable challenges even before the contract negotiations, as Villa would have demanded substantial compensation, given that the Spaniard remains under contract on wages of £12million annually. He also likes to have a lot of control of transfers and key decisions, meaning he might not have been a good fit for United's structure.

Didier Deschamps

France legend Didier Deschamps has lifted the World Cup both as a player and a manager, and following his departure from Les Bleus after this summer's tournament, he remains available. United are claimed to have approached his representatives to sound him out about a potential move to Old Trafford.

The response came swiftly and decisively. Deschamps turned down the opportunity to take on what has become a poisoned chalice.

He pointed to a desire to extend his sabbatical from club management, having last overseen Marseille in 2012, alongside the widespread disarray at United. The 58-year-old former France manager also harbours ambitions regarding the Real Madrid position should Jose Mourinho falter.

Fabian Hurzeler

Should United cast their eyes towards the summit of the Premier League table, they will find Brighton & Hove Albion occupying a surprising yet thoroughly merited second spot. The Seagulls have soared under Fabian Hurzeler this campaign and, naturally, in October, when Carrick appeared vulnerable, the German was touted for the United role.

A United board member reportedly 'can't stop talking' about him and proposed his name as a frontrunner to assume control should Carrick be sacked. Nevertheless, he categorically dismissed any suggestion that he might be tempted to depart the Amex Stadium, remaining dedicated to the project he has spearheaded so impressively.

Furthermore, his Brighton contract contains no release clause.

"I'm fully focused on my job here," Hurzeler stated last month when asked about United. "I've got no time to think about these rumours because we play every three days.

"I'm really privileged to be here. I'm part of a journey, and I still have this feeling when I go to bed that we are not finished with our journey. I always emphasise that I'm not 100 per cent satisfied and happy with where we are; there are still improvements to make.

"It's a people business. Making a people business out of this pressure business is something I don't take for granted and something I won't throw away that fast."

The German manager also expressed solidarity with Carrick, stating: "I have a lot of respect for Michael Carrick and the job he has done at Manchester United the last season. He's a great human being, a great personality, and I really respect him. There's nothing more to say about that."