Didn’t see dropping Cristiano Ronaldo as major decision and neither did group, claims Michael Carrick

With Manchester United walking into a big game against Chelsea, many expected caretaker boss Michael Carrick to name his strongest possible line-up. That is exactly what the United legend did but Carrick shocked fans and critics alike when he benched Cristiano Ronaldo. That was despite the fact that the forward had scored during the Champions League, earlier in the week with the decision talked about a lot since then.

However, the Red Devils nearly pulled off an audacious win, only for Chelsea to equalise late in the second half and share the points in a 1-1 draw. Yet, with a lot of discussions still being held even days after the clash, Carrick has asserted that it wasn’t a major decision with the move being blown up by the media. He also admitted that the team didn’t see it as a major decision either, with there no drama.

"I think them type of discussions get blown up really, a lot bigger than they probably are, when you're kind of inside the team or the club," Carrick said, reported Sky Sports.

"Decisions are made for a lot of different reasons and of course certain ones get bigger news than others, but that's how it was. I didn't see it as being a major decision. It certainly wasn't within the camp or group. We all got on really well. The game went well to an extent and it wasn't a drama at all."