Bruno Fernandes is enduring a difficult start to the season, with three goals and one assist in Manchester United’s six Premier League games, a sharp fall from the form that earned him the PFA Player of the Year award just seven weeks ago.
Only seven weeks have passed since Fernandes spoke in Manchester of his pride at winning the PFA Player of the Year award for 2025-26. The United captain had already claimed the Premier League and Football Writers’ versions of the honour, recognising his outstanding contribution to his side’s unexpected third-place finish.
Fernandes scored nine goals and claimed 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 remarkable. It recalled Eric Cantona in the 1995-96 title-winning campaign, when he scored in six successive games, five of them in matches where United scored only once.
“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 numbers are far less impressive.
A Difficult Start to the Season
Fernandes has played every minute of United’s six Premier League games. His three goals and one assist all came in the second game of the campaign, against Ipswich, which remains his side’s only win so far.
The figures are actually better than last term, when he scored twice in the opening six games and created nothing. At that point, however, Fernandes was playing in the deeper midfield role that Ruben Amorim preferred.
This season is Fernandes’ second-highest for shots, at an average of 3.3 per game. His best was 3.5 in 2020-21. Yet his 0.8 shots on target per game is joint-second lowest of his time at Old Trafford. His chance creation, at 2.5 per game, is also his second lowest at the club and well down on the 4.0 he produced last season.
More startling still, he has created just one “big chance” so far this season, the lofted pass that sent Bryan Mbeumo clear of the Ipswich defence on 30 August. His average last season was one per game.
Fernandes’ figures, along 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 eventually sacked to make way for Sir Alex Ferguson.
The question is whether Fernandes is a reason for United’s malaise or a symptom of it.
Fitness Concerns and Carrick’s Response
There is uncertainty over the Portugal 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 man 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 see it as an 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.”
The Missing Pieces
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. 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. Casemiro left for Inter Miami in the summer, but even his biggest admirers could not claim that United’s current low running numbers are down to his departure. His positioning and game knowledge remain of a high standard. Fernandes could take risks because he trusted United would not be overrun on the counterattack if he lost the ball.
Sesko’s fresh shin injury extends a lack of involvement that is being keenly felt, and there is, as yet, no end date for it.
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 had to be scrapped when Amad Diallo suffered an ankle injury just before the opening game at Hull. Matheus Cunha was given the role instead, but he repeatedly dropped deep, into the space Fernandes was occupying, and the pair never found an effective way of dealing with it.
For Fernandes, the arrangement feels restrictive. He is not a player who lacks confidence, but his decision-making does seem to be suffering. Against Tottenham at the weekend, it took him an incredible 23 minutes to complete a pass.
What Comes Next
On Monday, ahead of the Champions League meeting with Atletico, Carrick said no one was “guaranteed” a place in his team. He surrounded the 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.”