Sir Jim Ratcliffe speaks out on Michael Carrick amid search for permanent Manchester United manager

Ratcliffe said: "He's doing an excellent job. Yeah, absolutely."

However, when pressed on whether Carrick could be handed the role on a long-term basis, the 73-year-old responded: "Not going there."

The Ineos chief acknowledged that European qualification remains firmly on the club's radar ahead of Sunday's fixture against Aston Villa.

Ratcliffe told Sky Sports: "Yes, clearly we're thinking about that. But there's still seven or eight games to go. Still a while yet."

Carrick was brought in during January following Ruben Amorim's dismissal, initially viewed as a short-term solution to steady the ship at Old Trafford.

The 44-year-old has since transformed United's fortunes, claiming six victories from his eight matches in charge and propelling the club to third in the Premier League standings.

Prior to his arrival, United had managed just a single win from seven outings under Amorim's final weeks.

Carrick's opening fixtures proved particularly impressive, with triumphs over Manchester City and Arsenal setting the tone for his tenure.

The former England international went unbeaten through his first seven games before suffering a late defeat at Newcastle last weekend.

Despite that setback, the bookmakers continue to favour him as the leading candidate for the permanent managerial position.

Carrick has urged his squad to relish the significance of Sunday's encounter rather than dwell on their first loss under his stewardship.

At his pre-match press conference, the interim boss said: "It's always about what's next, what you're going to react (like), whether you've won, whether you haven't won."

He acknowledged the defeat felt different, given it was his first, but emphasised that setbacks are inevitable in such a demanding division.

Carrick added: "It's a tough league. Most teams, if not every team, has suffered that in recent times so it's putting things in perspective."

The former United midfielder stressed that recent performances have instilled genuine belief within the group about what they can accomplish.

He said: "It's an important game, there's no getting away from it. It's a fantastic game. We've put ourselves in a position now where there's an awful lot to play for so really embracing the situation."

United will be without several key defenders for the Villa clash, with Lisandro Martinez, Patrick Dorgu and Matthijs de Ligt all currently unavailable.

There is positive news regarding Mason Mount, who could feature after a two-month absence from the squad.

Carrick confirmed on Friday: "Mason is back with the group, which is fantastic.

"He's not 100 per cent, because he's only trained with us a small amount of time, but he's back, and that's good for us. So, we'll see if he's involved or not."

United and Villa enter the weekend level on 51 points, with the hosts occupying third place on goal difference alone.

Unai Emery's side have slipped from a comfortable third position following a difficult run of results, making Sunday's meeting at Old Trafford pivotal for both clubs' Champions League aspirations.