Bruno Fernandes has brushed aside suggestions that Manchester United's stunning comeback victory over Roma in the UEFA Champions League was motivated by any desire to protect jobs at the club.

United trailed 2-0 before producing a breathtaking second-half turnaround to seal a 3-2 win — ending a winless run that had stretched to nine matches. Fernandes' penalty in the 58th minute ignited the revival and relieved some of the mounting pressure on manager Michael Carrick.

"We don't need to save anyone's job," the United captain told Amazon Prime. "The club needed that win, the players needed that win. We have been working so hard to get out of this situation all together."

Fernandes speaks on his public fallout with Carrick

It was the first time Fernandes had addressed the media since Carrick dropped him to the bench following his public criticism of the manager's tactics after United's 4-1 defeat at Como. The 32-year-old was recalled to the starting eleven for the Premier League loss to Chelsea before playing a central role in the Roma turnaround.

Fernandes acknowledged that his words had consequences, and declined to frame his benching as anything other than a fair response from the manager. "It's been tough, there's been a lot of speculation in the media — a lot of lies around many things that have happened between me and the manager," he said.

"We cleared the air, and after that the manager took the decision to put me on the bench because I'm not performing. Everyone thought that was a punishment for the words that I had. If it was, it was right. The manager is the one who makes the decisions."

Fernandes was emphatic that his commitment to the club — and to Carrick — remains unchanged. "It doesn't change the belief I have of the manager and the staff and every player in this club. It doesn't change my aim to win every game that I have ahead of me," he added.