Makes sense to me. LvG likes to bore the opposition do death with midfield possession and sideways passes. Who better than Carrick for that. In LvG eyes Carricks starts every game if fit.
As for Fellaini, well he can’t rely on the technical foreign players like Martial Depay for goals against a physical Stoke and in the wind and rain. He needs some brawn not brain. Somebody to get a foot to it in a melee. Somebody to let them know we can get physical as well.
And he is still in trial and error mode. Trying different combinations in the hope he stumbles across something that works and will be hailed as genius. Its the substituting goalkeepers for penalty shoot ploy. If it works he basks in the accolades and if not just brush it under the carpet.
And perhaps the biggest reason of all, does it make any difference who he picks. Are you suggesting the result would be different had he picked anybody else.