Michael Carrick plays down talk of rift with former Manchester United teammate Paul Scholes

"It was nothing really, there's nothing to say about it really. I think that is just where we are in terms of social media and captions and quotes. It can be taken in different ways. So just be calm about it and understand the real meaning of things. Listen, there are different opinions out there and it's fine, people can have different opinions."

"Things get taken from one extreme to another. It is what it is. I am not worried about it and don't make a big deal of it either."

Manchester United head coach Michael Carrick downplayed a social media dispute with former teammate Paul Scholes following a 2-1 defeat to Newcastle. Scholes posted a critical comment about United's recent form, which drew criticism from another former player, Patrice Evra. After receiving backlash, Scholes clarified his intent was not offensive and contacted Carrick privately. Carrick addressed the incident at a news conference, characterizing it as a misunderstanding stemming from social media's tendency to distort meaning. He emphasized that different opinions are acceptable and urged calm perspective. Carrick confirmed Mason Mount's return to training while noting continued absences of defenders Matthijs de Ligt and Lisandro Martínez ahead of Aston Villa's visit.

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