Bruno Fernandes’ form has dropped sharply this season, a stark contrast to the record-breaking campaign that earned him the PFA Player of the Year award just seven weeks ago. The Manchester United captain, who has scored 111 goals in 335 appearances for the club, is now at the centre of questions about why United have struggled.
Only seven weeks have passed since Fernandes stood in the Manchester Opera House and spoke of his pride at receiving the PFA honour for 2025-26. He had already won the Premier League and Football Writers’ awards, recognition of his phenomenal contribution to United’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 the 12 goals.
Statistically, it was remarkable, reminiscent of 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.”
He added: “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. He has three goals and one assist, all coming against Ipswich in the second game of the campaign, which remains United’s only league win so far.
Those figures are better than last season’s start, when he scored twice in the opening six games and created none. However, he was playing in the deeper midfield role that Ruben Amorim preferred at that point.
This season, Fernandes is averaging 3.3 shots per game, his second-highest figure, though his best was 3.5 in 2020-21. His average of 0.8 shots on target is his joint-second lowest. His chance creation has dropped to 2.5 per game, the second lowest of his time at Old Trafford and well below the 4.0 he produced last season.
Most startling of all, 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. Last season, his average was one per game.
These numbers help explain why United have collected just six points from their opening six games, their worst league start in 40 years, when Ron Atkinson was sacked to make way for Sir Alex Ferguson. The central question is whether Fernandes is a reason for United’s malaise or a symptom of it.
Fitness Concerns and Carrick’s Response
Questions also surround Fernandes’ fitness. He rarely misses games, but Portugal boss Jorge Jesus left him out of the recent Nations League match against Norway, saying the former Sporting man was “playing through pain.” Fernandes returned for the final two internationals of the break, and he played the full 90 minutes in the 4-0 win over Azerbaijani champions Sabah FK in the Champions League.
United manager Michael Carrick does not consider the issue a problem 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
Towards 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 now clearly felt. Casemiro left for Inter Miami in the summer, but his positioning and game knowledge remain of a high standard. Fernandes could take risks in the belief that United would not be overrun on the transition if he lost the ball. Sesko’s fresh shin injury extends a lack of involvement that has no end date yet.
United’s power brokers 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 took the role instead, but he repeatedly dropped deep into the space Fernandes occupied, and the pair never found an effective way of dealing with it.
For Fernandes, the setup feels restrictive. He is not a player who lacks confidence, but his decision-making appears to be affected. Against Tottenham at the weekend, it took him an incredible 23 minutes just to complete a pass.
What Comes Next
Carrick said on Monday that no one was “guaranteed” a place in his team, though he added enough caveats to suggest that leaving out his captain is not under consideration.
“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.”
United must improve, and that means Fernandes must improve with them.