Manchester United are not expected to be without captain Bruno Fernandes for any length of time after Ruben Amorim played down injury concerns surrounding the influential midfielder.
Fernandes ended up with assist credit for both United goals in a 2–1 comeback win over Crystal Palace on Sunday, delivering the free-kick from which Joshua Zirkzee equalised and later nudging the ball to Mason Mount for the deciding strike.
There was a moment in the second half when he appeared to sustain a knock, although the Portugal international still completed the full 90 minutes for the 11th time in 13 Premier League appearances so far this season.
Fernandes is one of the clichéd “first names on the teamsheet” for Amorim and that looks set to continue because the injury that was feared is seemingly non-existent.
He divides opinion, but Bruno Fernandes delivers results. pic.twitter.com/cwmlRx1uvT
— Sports Illustrated FC (@SI_FootballClub) November 30, 2025
“It was a kick. I was shouting at him because he needs to talk with the bench but he said it was a kick so everything is okay,” Amorim explained to TNT Sports after the final whistle.
Everything points to Fernandes being the starting XI as normal when the Red Devils host West Ham United in the Premier League on Thursday night.
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With Amorim seemingly lacking trust in the likes of Manuel Ugarte and Kobbie Mainoo, Fernandes has been asked to operate in a more conventional central midfield position, deployed further away from goal than the No. 10 he was previously known as.
It means his impact is different and not necessarily visible in the kind of goal and assist number that defined his first five years in Manchester—it’s just two goals across all competitions (including a lack of European games), and is on course to be his least prolific season in red, which stood at 10 in 2021–22.
The player has taken a diplomatic approach when questions about his new position have been asked.
“I like playing football, regardless of the position, I’ll do my best,” Fernandes explained while away with Portugal in October. “Everyone has their favourite positions. In a space with a lot of quality, you have to adapt. I played these positions with Jorge Jesus at Sporting CP.
“When you’re up front, you can find more space, the risk is lower. When I play [as the No. 10], the goal is to create plays, to finish. I adapt to the team game. The most important thing is to win, I want to play as well as possible.”
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as Ruben Amorim Addresses Bruno Fernandes Injury Concern.
