BRUNO FERNANDES has been dropped from Manchester United’s line-up just days after calling out Michael Carrick’s tactics.
The Old Trafford skipper is suffering his worst run of form as United are in the midst of a seven game winless run ahead of Bournemouth’s visit on Sunday afternoon.
Following the humiliating 4-1 defeat to Champions League new-boys Como on Wednesday, Fernandes gave a pointed interview about United’s lack of pressing.
He told TNT: “It’s a decision from the staff to not press man-to-man and sometimes leave a little space in behind and try to get the ball in the first moment, to wait for them, to give them the ball.
“But sometimes when you give too much ball to these teams they get confident, they have so many bodies behind the ball that make you run a lot, make people get frustrated, and then obviously when you recover the ball the legs are, and the brain, much more difficult to make it work.”
Carrick has now dropped Fernandes, who sulked as he was dragged off in the 66th minute in Italy.
Fernandes has not been axed from the United starting XI – for non-fitness reasons – since back in November 2021 against Villarreal.
The man in charge at the time? None other than Michael Carrick.
Quizzed if he would consider taking the captaincy off Fernandes, Carrick said: “I’m just saying I’ll always – whatever the situation is – do what’s best for the club.”
“First and foremost is the squad, the dynamics in the squad. And again, it’s about the club. And I’ll always do what’s best for the club.”
This will be the first Premier League game of the season that Fernandes has started on the bench.
He last started a league game as a sub in United’s 4-3 defeat at Brentford in May 2025, but that was injury related.
Since Carrick’s first game in charge in January, Fernandes has the most assists (14) and has created the most chances (96) of any player in Europe’s big-five leagues.
He has scored four in his 11 appearances across all competitions, but has gone five Prem matches without scoring or assisting – his longest run since April-May 2025.
He has started all 10 of United’s matches across the Premier League and Champions League to date this season, and was a sub in the Carabao Cup defeat to Brighton.
Carrick also named Fernandes on the bench against Villarreal in November 2021 during his three-match interim spell.
