Carrick says Manchester United will plan for January window

Manchester United manager Michael Carrick says the club will plan for the January transfer window and seek to strengthen the squad, while stressing that the scale and form of any recruitment remain undecided. His comments followed criticism from defender Lisandro Martínez after a defeat to Atletico Madrid, which brought questions about the club’s summer transfer strategy and squad depth into sharper focus. “When the next transfer window comes, you want to plan and you want to make the best of it,” Carrick said. He added that United would look at the opportunity and try to emerge stronger, but said the club did not yet know what its approach would look like. His remarks signal an intention to consider recruitment, not confirmation that specific players will be signed. Martínez had questioned the club’s lack of reinforcements after the loss in Madrid. He later apologised and was fined, according to reports, and Carrick said the team had moved on from the incident. He described the squad as being in good spirits, saying the outburst had not damaged its cohesion. United’s early results have added to scrutiny of the squad. They have won two of their first nine matches in all...