Manchester United caretaker manager Michael Carrick has called on players and supporters to maintain a positive mindset following a 4-2 pre-season defeat to AC Milan on Saturday.

United twice took the lead in Poland — through Harry Maguire and Patrick Dorgu — only to concede late goals and surrender the match. Carrick acknowledged the performance fell short but pointed to the circumstances surrounding the result.

"Today, we're disappointed with it. We didn't play well today. There are reasons for that and we need to improve," Carrick told reporters after the final whistle.

The United manager noted that a number of players were making their first appearances of the summer, something he believes will pay dividends as the new season draws closer.

"Some of the boys were playing their first minutes. Different reasons — but no excuses. We didn't play very well," Carrick added.

The loss came against a Milan side managed by Ruben Amorim, the former United head coach, adding an extra layer of intrigue to the fixture. Despite the defensive lapses on display, Carrick was keen to stress that preparations heading into the new campaign have been encouraging.

"Overall, we are ready for next week. A lot of the boys will be better off for the minutes. We've done a lot of work on the training pitch, the performances in the games have been pretty good. We're still in good spirits going into next week," he said.