Bruno Fernandes has three goals and one assist from Manchester United’s six Premier League games this season, a sharp contrast with the record-breaking campaign that earned him the PFA Player of the Year award just seven weeks ago. Those numbers, and the questions they raise about his form and fitness, now sit at the centre of the debate over United’s worst league start in 40 years.
The United captain had already won the Premier League and Football Writers’ versions of the award, in recognition of his contribution to his side’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 reminiscent of Eric Cantona’s 1995-96 title-winning campaign.
Speaking at the Manchester Opera House, Fernandes struck a note of humility. “It was a special season for me,” he 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, given how different this season has looked.
A Dip in Output
Fernandes has played every minute of United’s six league matches. His three goals and one assist all came against Ipswich in the second game of the campaign, which remains United’s only league win so far. His numbers are better than at the same stage last season, when he scored twice in the opening six games and created nothing. However, he was then operating in the deeper midfield role that Ruben Amorim preferred.
Several underlying figures paint a more worrying picture. Fernandes is averaging 3.3 shots per game this season, his second-highest rate, though his best was 3.5 in 2020-21. His average of 0.8 shots on target per game is joint second lowest of his time at Old Trafford. His chance creation has fallen to 2.5 per game, the second lowest of his United career and well down on the 4.0 he managed last season.
Most startling of all, he has created just one “big chance” this season, the lofted pass that sent Bryan Mbeumo clear of the Ipswich defence on 30 August. Last season, he averaged one per game.
Those figures help explain why United have collected just six points from six games. The question is whether Fernandes is a reason for the slump or a symptom of it.
Fitness and Team Selection
Questions also surround the Portugal playmaker’s fitness. Fernandes rarely misses a game, but he was left out of the recent Nations League match against Norway, with national team boss Jorge Jesus saying the former Sporting man was “playing through pain”. He returned for the final two internationals of the break, and he played the full 90 minutes in the 4-0 win over Azerbaijani champions Sabah FK in the Champions League.
United manager Michael Carrick does not see a fitness problem. “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.”
Missing Partners
At the end of last season, when Fernandes was at his most prolific, Benjamin Sesko was a regular in the number nine role, and veteran Brazilian Casemiro anchored the midfield. Fernandes created four of Sesko’s nine league goals in 2026. He also set up four of the final five goals Casemiro scored for United from 1 February onwards.
Both players are now missing. Casemiro left for Inter Miami in the summer, but even his biggest admirers could not blame his departure alone for United’s struggling running numbers. His positioning and game knowledge were of a high standard, and they allowed Fernandes to take risks, knowing 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, with no end date yet in sight.
The club did not bring in extra striking support over the summer, instead reinforcing Carrick’s midfield. A plan to cover Sesko’s initial absence by using Mbeumo as a number nine was scrapped when Amad Diallo suffered an ankle injury just before the opening game at Hull. Matheus Cunha was given the role instead, but he repeatedly dropped deep into the space Fernandes occupied, and the pair never found an effective way of dealing with it.
For Fernandes, that arrangement 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.
What Comes Next
On Monday, ahead of the Champions League meeting with Atletico Madrid, 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 Fernandes must lead that improvement. “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.”
