Manchester United's next five Premier League fixtures will likely determine how much longer Michael Carrick remains at the head of the squad.

The Old Trafford head coach has found himself in hot water this season, winning just two of the club's opening nine fixtures across all competitions – coming against newly promoted Ipswich Town and Azerbaijani side Sabah FK, both at home.

United's next fixture is a tough away tie against a high-flying Leeds United, before they welcome Bournemouth at home and then travel to Stamford Bridge to face Chelsea at the end of October. The following month, Aston Villa (H) and Liverpool (A) await.

While many are looking at United's upcoming run of fixtures, Carrick is focusing only on the fixture against Leeds, who sit 7th in the Premier League table and are playing some of the best football Elland Road has seen in years.

It will be an incredibly tough test for the Red Devils on Sunday afternoon, and Lisandro Martínez's recent comments only add to the noise, but Carrick and his staff cannot let this distract them or the players as they head into a possibly career-defining fixture.

Martínez's recent comments, for the most part, levelled heavy criticism at the club's leadership, in particular, director of football Jason Wilcox.

United signed four players in the summer for around £155 million, Andrey Santos, Youri Tielemans, Carlos Baleba, and Karl Darlow, and Martínez effectively said he felt this was not enough.

After promising players and fans a summer of significant investment to build on the squad's 3rd-place finish last season, the lack of sales and incomings, compared with Chelsea and Manchester City, left those close to United feeling misled.

Speaking on Friday afternoon, Carrick stated his own thoughts on Martínez comments during the pre-match press conference ahead of the Leeds fixture.

"It's done really," Carrick said. "We have moved on. It's one of those things. He's come out and acknowledged the situation."

On the meeting Martínez held with United, Carrick said, "It was pretty simple, we all understood the situation and what it meant.

"He made the statement and acknowledged it was a mistake on his part. We have a really good feeling within the group, the spirit and togetherness."

Carrick concluded by stating, "I understand emotion at times, we ask for fire and players to care, but there is a way of doing that, which has been acknowledged."

The United boss also confirmed that Martínez will be available to face Leeds United.

Martínez has apologised for his recent comments following United’s defeat against Atlético Madrid, insisting his frustration stemmed from his desire to see the club competing for the biggest honours.

After his criticisms, Martínez has sought to clarify his remarks, saying he spoke out of anger and frustration over the result and the club’s current situation.

Martínez acknowledged that the timing and manner of his comments may not have been appropriate, apologising for any division they caused. He stressed that his ambition was to see United return to the top, adding that players must hold themselves to higher standards and take responsibility for delivering success on the pitch.

The 28-year-old also confirmed that he had held a positive conversation with the club’s leadership and manager, during which they openly discussed the incident. Martínez insisted that everyone at United shares the same ambition and called for unity as the club looks to move forward.

He concluded by reaffirming his belief in his teammates, manager and everyone working at United, insisting that his goal remains to compete at the highest level and give everything for the badge.