Bruno Fernandes has three goals and one assist in Manchester United’s six Premier League games this season, and his influence has dropped sharply from the level that earned him the PFA Player of the Year award just seven weeks ago.
Fernandes received that award at the Manchester Opera House in August, after already winning the Premier League and Football Writers’ versions. The honours recognised his huge contribution to United’s unexpected third-place finish. He scored nine goals and claimed 21 assists, breaking a Premier League record jointly held by Thierry Henry and Kevin de Bruyne.
Over the final 11 games of last season, Fernandes either scored or created 12 of United’s 21 goals. In the seven-game run that returned United to Europe’s elite club competition after a two-year absence, the 31-year-old was involved in nine of the 12 goals. Statistically, it was a remarkable spell, reminiscent of Eric Cantona in the 1995-96 title-winning campaign.
“It was a special season for me,” Fernandes told an appreciative audience. “I am very proud.
“But we don’t play tennis. We don’t play just for ourselves. We play for a team, we play for a club, we play for the fans. There is nothing more special than that.”
Those words carry particular weight now, because this season’s figures are far less impressive. Fernandes has played every minute of United’s six league games, and his three goals and one assist all came in the second match, a win against Ipswich. That remains United’s only victory so far.
A Dip in Output
Those numbers are still better than last season’s opening six games, when he scored twice and created nothing. However, Fernandes was then playing in the deeper midfield role that Ruben Amorim preferred.
This season, Fernandes is taking his second-highest number of shots, at an average of 3.3 per game. His best came in 2020-21, at 3.5. His shots on target, however, average 0.8 per game, which is his joint-second lowest. His chance creation, at 2.5 per game, is the second lowest of his time at Old Trafford and well down on the 4.0 he produced last season.
He has created just one “big chance” so far, the lofted pass that sent Bryan Mbeumo clear of the Ipswich defence on 30 August. Last season, his average was one per game.
These figures help to explain why United have collected just six points from their opening six games. It is their worst start to a league campaign in 40 years, when Ron Atkinson was sacked to make way for Sir Alex Ferguson. The key question is whether Fernandes is a cause of United’s problems or a symptom of them.
Fitness and Team Selection
Fernandes’s fitness is also under scrutiny. He rarely misses a game, but he was left out of the recent Nations League match with Norway. National team boss Jorge Jesus said the former Sporting man was “playing through pain”.
Fernandes was fit enough to return for the final two internationals of the break. Before that, he played the full 90 minutes in United’s 4-0 win against Azerbaijani champions Sabah FK in the Champions League.
United manager Michael Carrick does not see the issue as a serious concern as he prepares his side to face Atletico Madrid on Tuesday.
“He was carrying something but that happens a lot,” Carrick said. “Players play with issues.
“It’s not ideal but it is manageable. Bruno is able to play. That is the commitment he has got.
“He is pretty much over it, was really bright in training this morning and is looking forward to the game.”
The Absence of Sesko and Casemiro
Towards the end of last season, when Fernandes was at his most productive, Benjamin Sesko was a regular in the number nine role. Veteran Brazilian Casemiro anchored United’s midfield.
Of the nine league goals Sesko has scored in 2026, Fernandes created four. He also set up four of the final five goals Casemiro scored for United from 1 February onwards.
Casemiro left for Inter Miami in the summer, and even his biggest admirers could not claim that United’s current low running stats are down to his departure alone. His positioning and game knowledge remain of a high standard. Fernandes could take risks because he trusted United would not be overrun on the counter-attack if he lost the ball.
Sesko’s fresh shin injury extends a lack of involvement that is being keenly felt, and there is no end date in sight.
United’s decision-makers ignored calls for more striking support in the summer and reinforced Carrick’s midfield instead. A plan to cover Sesko’s initial absence by using Mbeumo as a number nine had to be scrapped when Amad Diallo suffered an ankle injury just before the opening game at Hull. Matheus Cunha took on the role, but he repeatedly dropped deep into the space Fernandes was occupying, and the pair never found an effective way of dealing with it.
For Fernandes, the setup feels restrictive. He is not a player who lacks confidence, but his decision-making appears to be suffering. Against Tottenham at the weekend, it took him an incredible 23 minutes to complete a pass.
Carrick Backs His Captain
On Monday, as he looked ahead to the Champions League meeting with Atletico, Carrick said no-one was “guaranteed” a place in his team. He surrounded that comment with enough caveats to suggest that leaving out his captain is not in his thinking.
United must improve, and that means Fernandes must improve too.
“He’s a top player, Bruno,” Carrick said.
“Sometimes things don’t quite go for you. Sometimes you have a spell of that.
“But he’s done some incredible things for this football club and he will do the same in the future, there’s no doubt about that.”