Michael Carrick to take training as Man Utd search for Jose Mourinho replacement until end of season
MICHEAL CARRICK will take the reins at Manchester United but the club are set to look externally for a caretaker manager in the wake of Jose Mourinho being sacked.
The former England midfielder will lead training this week but is not being considered to take charge in the interim.
United will outsource for a temporary boss and embark on a thorough recruitment process to find a replacement for Mourinho, who was dismissed on Tuesday after two-and-a-half years in charge.
Carrick was installed as Mourinho's No.2 in the summer after 12 years as a player at Old Trafford.
But despite his senior role United will look elsewhere in the short term.
A figure with close links to the club is thought to be a priority, but head of coaching at United's youth academy Nicky Butt, Wales boss Ryan Giggs, England women's manager Phil Neville and Sky Sports' Gary Neville are not among the candidates.
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Three-time Champions League winner with Real Madrid, Zinedine Zidane, Tottenham's Mauricio Pochettino and ex-Chelsea coach Antonio Conte are the bookmakers' favourites for the position - but United will wait until the end of the campaign for make an appointment.
Mourinho's sacking comes after the 3-1 defeat to Liverpool confirmed the club's worst start to a season for 28 years.
Criticism of several first team players, a public falling out with record signing Paul Pogba and disappointment with a supposed lacking of support in the transfer window defined the twilight of Mourinho's 30 months at the helm.
Despite securing two trophies and a return to the Champions League in his maiden campaign, the Portuguese coach was unable to translate major investment off the pitch into genuine challenges for the Premier League title.
Last season United finished 19 points adrift of Manchester City and lost the FA Cup final to Chelsea.
Just three players arrived on permanent transfers in the summer in the form of Fred, Lee Grant and Diogo Dalot to leave Mourinho lamenting a lack of investment from the club's hierarchy.
A troubling summer was followed by defeats to Brighton and Tottenham in the opening month of the season.
Despite exiting the Carabao Cup at the hands of Frank Lampard's Derby County and suffering a damaging loss to West Ham United, the comeback win over Newcastle and win at Juventus appeared to breathe new life into his tenure.
But a run of one win in five games, which was extended at Anfield, has seen his spell draw to a close and leaves his own managerial career - let along the immediate future of the club - clouded in uncertainty.