Bruno Fernandes is struggling for form at Manchester United this season, with three goals and one assist in six Premier League games. That contrasts sharply with his record-breaking 2025-26 campaign, when he was named PFA Player of the Year.
Only seven weeks ago, Fernandes stood in the Manchester Opera House and spoke of his pride at receiving the PFA award. The United captain had already won the Premier League and Football Writers’ versions of the prize, recognising his outstanding contribution to his side’s unexpected third-place finish.
Fernandes scored nine goals and provided 21 assists last season, breaking a Premier League record jointly held by Thierry Henry and Kevin de Bruyne. Over the final 11 games, he 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 a remarkable spell, reminiscent of 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.”
A Difficult Start to This Season
Those words carry particular weight now, because this season’s numbers are far less impressive. Fernandes has played every minute of United’s six Premier League games. His three goals and one assist all came in the second game, against Ipswich, which remains United’s only league win so far.
The numbers are slightly better than last term, when he scored twice in the opening six games and created nothing. However, he was then playing in the deeper midfield role that Ruben Amorim preferred.
This season, Fernandes is taking his second-highest number of shots, averaging 3.3 per game, though his best was 3.5 in 2020-21. His average of 0.8 shots on target is his joint-second lowest, and his chance creation of 2.5 per game is the second lowest of his time at Old Trafford. He averaged 4.0 last season.
Most startlingly, he has created just one “big chance” so far this season, a lofted pass that sent Bryan Mbeumo clear of the Ipswich defence on 30 August. Last season, he averaged one per game.
These figures help explain 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.
But is Fernandes a cause of United’s problems, or a symptom of them?
Fitness Concerns and Carrick’s Response
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, when national team boss Jorge Jesus said the former Sporting man was “playing through pain”.
Fernandes did 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.
United manager Michael Carrick does not see it as a major issue 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 Support Around Him
Towards the end of last season, when Fernandes was at his most productive, Benjamin Sesko regularly led the line at number nine, 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.
The absence of Sesko and Casemiro is clearly being felt. Even Casemiro’s strongest supporters could not argue that United’s current low running numbers stem from the 34-year-old’s departure for Inter Miami in the summer. His positioning and game understanding remain of a high standard, and they gave Fernandes the freedom 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, and there is no return date yet.
The club’s decision-makers ignored calls for more striking support in the summer and instead strengthened 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 took on 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.
Pressure on the Captain
On Monday, Carrick said that no one was “guaranteed” a place in his team. He added 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.”
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