Michael Carrick defends Amad Diallo, praises his recent impact at Man Utd

Speaking ahead of United's upcoming clash with Sunderland, Carrick insisted the Ivorian forward remains central to his plans despite enduring a challenging run of form.

Diallo was substituted at half-time during the recent match against Brentford and later made a defensive error that resulted in a Liverpool goal.

However, Carrick was quick to defend the youngster publicly during his pre-match press conference, praising both his mentality and long-term potential.

"Amad's fine. He's absolutely fine. There's no problem. He was smiling full-time. Mistakes are part of football. I've made them. I've made plenty as a player, I understand, and sometimes you make them and it leads to a goal. Sometimes you make them and you get away with it and no one really talks about it," said Carrick.

"He's done so many good things since I came back and the impact that he's had on the team and his performances and what he gives the team, with the ball, without the ball, his energy, his attitude towards it.

"And he's been great over the last few days and he was great after the game and so he should be.

"He's got nothing to feel down about or upset about and frustrated about because he's got so much to look forward to and he's so talented and so exciting and absolute joy to work with.

"So, he's in a good place, he's in a good place and I'm sure he's looking forward to the game on Saturday."

United's interim head coach has overseen a remarkable turnaround since taking charge in January. The club have collected 32 points under Carrick and have already secured qualification for the UEFA Champions League.