Manchester United have decided to exclude captain BrunoFernandes from their starting eleven for the match against Bournemouth at OldTrafford, as reported by TheAthletic. The choice comes at a time of strong internal turbulence, with Michael Carrick's position in the balance and a series of injuries that have put the squad to the test.
The 4‑1 defeat against Como in the Champions League sparked a wave of criticism from Fernandes, who accused the coach of not pressuring his opponent adequately. In an interview with TNTSports, the Portuguese stated that "it is a decision of the staff not to press man to man and sometimes leave space behind to try to recover the ball, but sometimes when you give space to these teams they gain confidence". When asked if Carrick had got his tactics wrong, he replied that "it's up to the manager and the staff to judge that, not me", adding that "sometimes you have to be braver under pressure, run the risk of pressing high and making them unwell".
Fernandes has started all seven Premier League matches and all three Champions League matches this season. His decision to vent publicly after the defeat against Como probably influenced Carrick's choice to leave him on the bench. The situation was further complicated by the public outing of LisandroMartinez, who criticized the club in an interview after the defeat against Atletico Madrid. Unlike Martinez, who later issued a formal apology and paid a fine, Fernandes has not shown the same willingness to make amends.
Manchester United will therefore have to reconsider the composition of the team for the match against Bournemouth, with the aim of re-establishing internal unity and improving performance on the pitch. The decision to exclude Fernandes was seen as a sign of rigor from Carrick, who seeks to enforce discipline and responsibility within the club. The next step will be to see if this measure will bring the desired results and if the captain will be able to return to play in the future.