Bruno Fernandes, who was named PFA Player of the Year just seven weeks ago, has produced far fewer telling numbers this season, and Manchester United’s worst league start in 40 years has put the Portugal captain under scrutiny. He has three goals and one assist in six Premier League games, all of them coming in a 4-1 win over Ipswich, the only victory United have recorded so far.
Only seven weeks ago, Fernandes stood in the Manchester Opera House and spoke of his pride at receiving the PFA award for 2025-26. He had already won the Premier League and Football Writers’ versions of the honour, recognizing his outstanding 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 their 12 goals. Statistically, it was remarkable, and it recalled Eric Cantona in the 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 figures are far less impressive. Fernandes has played every minute of United’s six league games so far. His three goals and one assist all came in the second game of the campaign, against Ipswich.
The numbers are actually better than last season’s, when he scored twice in the opening six games and created nothing. At that stage, however, Fernandes was operating in the deeper midfield role that Ruben Amorim preferred.
A Shift in Output
This season, Fernandes is averaging 3.3 shots per game, his second-highest figure at the club. His best was 3.5 in 2020-21. His shots on target, however, average just 0.8 per game, which is his joint-second lowest. His chance creation has also dropped to 2.5 per game, the second lowest of his time at Old Trafford, and well down on the 4.0 he produced last season.
Even more striking, he has created just one “big chance” so far this season. That came from a lofted pass that sent Bryan Mbeumo clear of the Ipswich defense on 30 August. Last season, Fernandes averaged one big chance per game.
Those figures, combined with his general involvement, go some way to explaining why United have collected just six points from their opening six games. It is their worst league start in 40 years, when Ron Atkinson was sacked to make way for Sir Alex Ferguson. The question now is whether Fernandes is a cause of United’s malaise or a symptom of it.
Fitness Questions
There is also uncertainty about the playmaker’s fitness. Fernandes rarely misses a game, but he was left out of the recent Nations League match against Norway. National team boss Jorge Jesus said the former Sporting player was “playing through pain.”
Fernandes was 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 over Azerbaijani champions Sabah FK.
United manager Michael Carrick does not consider the issue 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 peak of Fernandes’ productivity last season, Benjamin Sesko was a regular in the number nine role, and 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 onward.
The absence of Sesko and Casemiro is clearly being felt. Casemiro left for Inter Miami in the summer, but his positioning and game knowledge remain of a high standard. That gave Fernandes the freedom to take risks, because United were not likely to be overrun on the counterattack if he lost the ball. Sesko, meanwhile, is out with a fresh shin injury, and there is no end date for his return.
The club’s decision-makers 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 was scrapped when Amad Diallo suffered an ankle injury before the opening game at Hull. Matheus Cunha got the job instead, but he repeatedly dropped deep into the space Fernandes occupied, and the pair never found an effective way to deal 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 just to complete a pass.
Carrick’s Backing
On Monday, as he looked ahead to the Atletico match, 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, however, 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.”
