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Michael Carrick made 316 Premier League appearances for Manchester United as a player Michael Carrick has emerged as favourite to be appointed Manchester United caretaker head coach, according to sources close to the process. Club chiefs are hoping to have an appointment in place for when players return to training on Wednesday. While a final decision is yet to be reached, talks are said to have progressed with the 44-year-old over the position. Carrick previously had a three-game stint as United's temporary boss following Ole Gunnar Solskjaer's dismissal in 2021. He won two and drew one of those matches but left after Ralf Rangnick's arrival as interim manager. Solskjaer held face-to-face discussions with the club on Saturday about a return. United sacked Ruben Amorim as manager after 14 months in the job on 5 January. Darren Fletcher, a former United and Scotland midfielder, was initially handed temporary responsibility for first-team affairs following Amorim's departure. United suffered an FA Cup third-round defeat at the hands of Brighton on Sunday in what looks set to be Fletcher's second and final game in charge. He led the side to a draw at struggling Burnley in the Premier League last Wednesday. 'Fragile' Man Utd set for fewest games in season since 1914-15 'They'd take him back in a heartbeat' - Welbeck haunts Man Utd again Former England midfielder Carrick played 464 games in all competitions for United between 2006 and 2018, having been signed from Tottenham by Sir Alex Ferguson. He has been out of work since he was sacked by Championship club Middlesbrough last June after two and a half years in charge. Carrick guided Boro to the Championship play-offs in the 2022-23 campaign, only for them to lose to Coventry in the semi-finals. His side then narrowly missed out on the top six in successive campaigns, resulting in Carrick losing his job. Wallsend-born Carrick does not boast the same managerial experience as Solskjaer, given he has had only one permanent role with Middlesbrough. Following his retirement from a glittering playing career at Old Trafford, Carrick immediately joined Jose Mourinho's coaching staff at United at the end of the 2017-18 season. After the Portuguese was sacked, he was kept on as a first-team coach throughout Solskjaer's 168-game reign. Latest Manchester United news, analysis and fan views Ask about Man Utd - what do you want to know? Comments can not be loaded To load Comments you need to enable Java Script in your browser Carrick favourite for Man Utd caretaker role Are fans being turned off multi-club ownership model? 49ers upset champions Eagles in NFL play-offs Jennifer Lawrence stars in this high-stakes dystopian film A familiar fixture in film that reflects British life Ed Gamble and past contestants discuss the latest series of The Traitors A mischievous misadventure with Dawn French and Mark Heap Are fans being turned off multi-club ownership model? Which players could England turn to for 2027 Ashes? Non-league Macclesfield stun FA Cup holders Crystal Palace. Video Non-league Macclesfield stun FA Cup holders Crystal Palace 'He is here with us' - Macclesfield make FA Cup history on emotional day Brosnan, Prince Naseem and the embrace that never happened Wrexham shock Forest in shootout after six-goal thriller. Video Wrexham shock Forest in shootout after six-goal thriller Why Man City have signed 'extraordinary' Semenyo 'Whoever signed off England's tour has to go' - Agnew column The NFL record-breaker who never planned to play the sport A warrior touched by tragedy - Terry Yorath obituary Weekly sports quiz: How many managers have Man Utd had since Ferguson? From Aronimink to Zalatoris - an A-Z of golf in 2026 Sporting highlights to look forward to in 2026 Copyright © 2026 BBC. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. Read about our approach to external linking.