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Michael Carrick may have a significant selection decision to make ahead of Manchester United’s return to Champions League action, just as Carlo Ancelotti has corrected what looked like a major World Cup-related selection mistake in his new Brazil squad.

Chelsea forward Joao Pedro has been brought back by Ancelotti after his puzzling omission in the summer, despite an excellent first season at Stamford Bridge. Brazil’s last-16 exit and Pedro’s superb start to the new Premier League season have now made him impossible to ignore for the two friendlies against Australia later this month.

Neymar has been left out after his romantic/sickening inclusion, while Matheus Cunha is also absent. Cunha had impressed at the World Cup, just as he did for United last season, but he has found form difficult to come by for the Red Devils in his second campaign.

Carrick has been using him as Manchester United’s centre-forward, the same role he occupied for Brazil in the summer and also for a large part of his debut season at Old Trafford.

Paul Scholes is convinced that is not Cunha’s best role after Benjamin Sesko – a more natural No.9 – came off the bench to score against Everton on Sunday.

“I felt it was really timid against Everton,” Scholes said on The Good, The Bad and The Football podcast.

“There was no aggression, and Everton were there for the taking. There was so much space, and they never went for the throat.

“The centre-forward position is a bit of an issue because he is not playing Sesko. He is a focal point. It is very difficult to watch a Manchester United team without a centre forward.

“With Cunha, we don’t really know what he is, a No.10 or a wide player but he’s definitely not a No.9 and watching United without a No.9 is a struggle.”

So should Sesko now come in for him in the starting line-up? Media outlets in Slovenia – who could perhaps be accused of a slight bias towards their national team striker – appear to have no doubts at all.

‘Sesko is soaring on the shameful numbers of the Brazilian – fans firmly against Carrick,’ wrote leading website Ekira.

‘He (Cunha) completely failed, producing a catastrophic display. A total zero. Cunha finished with zero shots on target, zero assists, zero dribbles. He lost possession 11 times and was beaten in every aerial duel.

‘But Carrick’s insistence that Sesko is still more effective from the bench, while the Brazilian starts up front, is driving fans mad. Sesko has to play from the first minute, they are shouting.’

With Bryan Mbeumo now looking close to a permanent presence on the right wing and Marcus Rashford appearing determined to make a point again at his boyhood club from the left, Sesko’s return to the starting XI would most likely mean Cunha dropping to the bench for the Red Devils’ Champions League match against Sabah on Thursday night. For the 27-year-old, it would complete a chastening couple of days for both club and country.