Manchester United are set to host AS Roma at Old Trafford in the UEFA Champions League on Tuesday evening.
The Red Devils have failed to win any of their last nine matches, leaving the United head coach in desperate need of a response.
United suffered a 2-0 defeat to Chelsea last weekend, despite producing an encouraging performance in the first half before losing control after the interval.
While Lisandro Martinez was guilty of letting his team down, Diogo Dalot also endured another difficult afternoon against the Blues.
The Portuguese full-back has repeatedly fallen short of expectations this season, letting down both Carrick and the United supporters with his performances.
The 45-year-old manager has shown considerable faith in Dalot, but it may finally be time to leave him out of the starting XI for the visit of Roma.
Dalot has been forced to operate in an unfamiliar left-back role over the last few games, but that should not completely excuse his recent displays.
His performance against Chelsea and Bournemouth were particularly concerning.
The 27-year-old failed to complete a single dribble or deliver an accurate cross, while winning just four of his 10 duels.
Much more should be expected from a player who has been at Old Trafford for almost eight years and should be approaching the peak of his career.
We believe Dalot should make way for Noussair Mazraoui, who deserves an opportunity to reclaim his place at right-back.
Ayden Heaven could then slot in at left-back if Luke Shaw remains unavailable, giving United a chance to reshape their defensive line.
Mazraoui may not be a world-class right-back, but his defensive reliability could provide the security United have sorely lacked in recent matches.
The Moroccan is also capable of competing physically in one-on-one battles and has the awareness to track opposing runners, qualities that could prove particularly important against Roma.
The Serie A outfit have been in formidable attacking form, scoring 18 goals in their last five matches under manager Gian Piero Gasperini.
Defensive solidity must be a priority for the United boss against an in-form Roma side.
If the Red Devils are to avoid another damaging result, they must first stop making life easy for their opponents.
Stats from Fotmob.com