Bruno Fernandes has scored three goals and provided one assist in Manchester United’s six Premier League games this season, a sharp drop from the form that earned him the PFA Player of the Year award just seven weeks ago.
The Manchester 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. He scored nine goals and claimed 21 assists in the Premier League, breaking a 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 remarkable, recalling Eric Cantona’s 1995-96 title-winning campaign, when he scored in six successive games, five of which United won by a single goal.
At the awards ceremony in Manchester, Fernandes spoke with pride. “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, because this season’s numbers tell a far less impressive story.
A Difficult Start to the Season
Fernandes has played every minute of United’s six league games. His three goals and one assist all came in the second match, against Ipswich, which remains his side’s only league win so far. His output is better than at the same stage last season, when he scored twice in the opening six games and created nothing.
However, the underlying figures raise concerns. This season he is averaging 3.3 shots per game, his second-highest figure for shots, yet his average of 0.8 shots on target is joint-second lowest of his time at Old Trafford. His chance creation of 2.5 per game is the second lowest of his Old Trafford career and significantly down on the 4.0 he produced last season.
Perhaps most striking, 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.
These numbers help explain why United have collected just six points from their opening six games, their worst start to a league campaign in 40 years. That was the season Ron Atkinson was sacked to make way for Sir Alex Ferguson. The key question is whether Fernandes is a cause of United’s malaise or a symptom of it.
Fitness and Team Selection
Questions have also arisen over 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”.
Fernandes was fit enough to return for the final two internationals of the break. Before that, he played the full 90 minutes in the 4-0 Champions League win against Azerbaijani champions Sabah FK.
United manager Michael Carrick does not regard 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.”
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 United’s midfield. Fernandes created four of the nine league goals Sesko has scored in 2026. He also set up four of the final five goals Casemiro scored for the club from 1 February onwards.
The absence of both players is clearly being felt. Casemiro left for Inter Miami in the summer, but his positioning and game knowledge were of a high standard, and his presence allowed Fernandes to take risks, safe in the knowledge that 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.
The club’s power brokers ignored calls 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 abandoned when Amad Diallo suffered an ankle injury just before the opening game at Hull. Matheus Cunha took the role, but he repeatedly dropped deep into the space Fernandes occupied, and the pair never found an effective way to deal with it.
For Fernandes, this 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.
Carrick Stands By His Captain
On Monday, ahead of 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.”