Bruno Fernandes has produced far fewer end product in the opening six Premier League games of this season than he did during his remarkable run at the end of last term, with Manchester United’s captain struggling to find his best form under Michael Carrick. Only seven weeks have passed since Fernandes accepted the PFA Player of the Year award in Manchester, where he spoke of his pride at the honour.
The United captain had already won the Premier League and Football Writers’ versions of the award, recognising his phenomenal contribution to his side’s unexpected third-place finish. Fernandes 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 the 21 goals United managed. In the seven-game run that carried United back into Europe’s elite club competition after a two-year absence, the 31-year-old was a central figure in nine of their 12 goals.
Statistically, it was remarkable, and it recalled Eric Cantona’s 1995-96 title-winning campaign, when he scored in six successive games, five of which United won by a single goal.
“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 numbers make for far less impressive reading.
A dip in output this season
Fernandes has played every minute of United’s six Premier League games. He has three goals and one assist, all of which came in the 3-1 win against Ipswich, the second game of the campaign and, so far, United’s only victory.
Those figures are actually better than last term, when he scored twice in the opening six games and failed to create any. However, Fernandes was then playing in the deeper midfield role that Ruben Amorim preferred.
This season, Fernandes is averaging 3.3 shots per game, his second-highest figure for actual shots. His best was 3.5 in 2020-21. However, his average of 0.8 shots on target is joint second lowest, and his chance creation of 2.5 per game is the second lowest of his time at Old Trafford. It is also down significantly on the 4.0 he returned last season.
More startlingly, he has created just one “big chance” so far this season, the lofted pass that sent Bryan Mbeumo running clear of the Ipswich defence on 30 August. Fernandes averaged one per game last season.
Those numbers, combined with his general involvement, perhaps go some way to explaining 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 eventually sacked to make way for Sir Alex Ferguson.
But is Fernandes a reason for United’s malaise, or a symptom of it?
Fitness and the manager’s view
There is uncertainty over the Portugal playmaker’s fitness. Fernandes rarely misses a game, but he was left out of the recent Nations League encounter with Norway, when national team boss Jorge Jesus said the former Sporting man was “playing through pain”.
Fernandes was, however, fit enough to return for the final two internationals of the extended break. Before that, he played the full 90 minutes in United’s 4-0 Champions League win against Azerbaijani champions Sabah FK.
Carrick does not view the issue as a 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 missing pieces
Towards the end of last season, when Fernandes was at his most prolific, Benjamin Sesko was a regular in the number nine role, while 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.
Beyond goals, the absence of Sesko and Casemiro is clearly being felt. Even Casemiro’s biggest admirers could not claim United’s current low running numbers are down to the 34-year-old leaving for Inter Miami in the summer. His positioning and game knowledge remain of a high standard, and they gave Fernandes the confidence to take risks, knowing United would not be overrun on the counter-attack if he lost the ball.
As for Sesko, his fresh shin injury extends a lack of involvement that is being keenly felt, and there is, as yet, no end date for his return.
The club’s power brokers ignored a clamour for more striking support in the summer and instead reinforced Carrick’s midfield. 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 was given the job instead, 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, it feels restrictive. He is not a player who lacks confidence, but his decision-making does seem to be affected. Against Tottenham at the weekend, it took him an incredible 23 minutes just to complete a pass.
What comes next
Carrick said on Monday, as he looked ahead to the Champions League meeting with Atletico, that no one was “guaranteed” a place in his team. He added enough caveats, however, to indicate 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.”