Carrick insists United have moved on from Martinez row

Michael Carrick says Manchester United have moved on from Lisandro Martinez's blast at the club's hierarchy — and he insists he is "telling the truth".

United slipped to a 2-0 defeat by Atletico Madrid in the Champions League, Europe's top competition for the continent's leading clubs. Martinez, the Argentina defender, criticised the people running the club in the raw minutes after that loss, according to BBC Sport.

The reaction was instant and noisy. Wayne Rooney, United's record goalscorer turned pundit, warned the comments could "rip the dressing room apart", the private room where players and coaches prepare and regroup. Former United captains Roy Keane and Gary Neville have also given their views on the row. A frustrating European night had quickly become a wider conversation about leadership and standards at Old Trafford.

Martinez has since apologised for the timing of his outburst, but he has not taken back the words themselves. He was fined for the comments, according to Yahoo Sports. The episode turned the spotlight on Jason Wilcox, United's director of football, the executive who leads work on transfers, contracts and the shape of the squad. In plain terms, that role means finding the right players and building a group a head coach can win with.

Carrick addressed it all at United's Carrington training ground at his pre-match media conference. He said the squad is in a fantastic place, better than he has seen it for a while, with spirit and focus still strong after the Atletico defeat. He repeated that the matter had been dealt with inside the club and the players were looking forward, not back.

The clearest signal came on selection. Carrick confirmed Martinez will be part of the squad for the Premier League trip to Leeds United at Elland Road. That domestic league game in West Yorkshire kicks off at 14:00 BST on Sunday, and the defender is available again after his apology and fine.

For fans, this means Sunday carries a little extra crackle. United against Leeds always stirs strong feeling in both cities, and away days like this live long in the memory. What makes this stand out is the human part. A player spoke in frustration, accepted his punishment and now has a simple way back, with tackles, headers and calm under pressure.