Bruno Fernandes is struggling this season, a sharp contrast with the form that earned him the PFA Player of the Year award just seven weeks ago. The Manchester United captain has 111 goals in 335 appearances for the club, but his influence has waned in the opening weeks of 2026-27.
It is only seven weeks since Fernandes stood in the Manchester Opera House and spoke of his pride at being named PFA Player of the Year for 2025-26. He had already won the Premier League and Football Writers’ versions of the award, in recognition of his huge contribution to his side’s unexpected third-place finish.
Fernandes scored nine goals and claimed 21 assists, breaking a Premier League record jointly held by Thierry Henry and Kevin de Bruyne. Over the final 11 games of last season, 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, and it recalled Eric Cantona’s 1995-96 title-winning campaign, when he scored in six successive games, five of them when 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 figures are far less impressive.
A slow start to the campaign
Fernandes has played every minute of United’s six Premier League games. He has three goals and one assist, all of which came in the win against Ipswich, the second game of the campaign and, so far, his side’s only victory.
Those numbers are better than last season, when he scored twice in the opening six games and created none. However, he was then playing in the deeper midfield role that Ruben Amorim preferred.
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 joint-second lowest of his time at Old Trafford. His chance creation, at 2.5 per game, is his second lowest at the club and well down on the 4.0 he produced last season.
Even more striking, he has created just one ‘big chance’ so far, the lofted pass that sent Bryan Mbeumo clear of the Ipswich defence on 30 August. Last season, his average was one per game.
Fernandes’ figures, along with his general involvement, may help explain 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 sacked to make way for Sir Alex Ferguson.
But is Fernandes a reason for United’s malaise, or a symptom of it?
Fitness and the manager’s view
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 with Norway. Portugal 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 the 4-0 win against Azerbaijani champions Sabah FK in the Champions League.
United manager Michael Carrick does not see it as 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.”
Missing partners
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 the midfield.
Fernandes created four of Sesko’s nine league goals in 2026. 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. Even Casemiro’s biggest admirers could not claim United’s current low running numbers are down to the 34-year-old’s summer departure for Inter Miami. His positioning and game knowledge remain of a high standard, and they gave Fernandes the freedom to take risks, knowing United would not be overrun on the counter-attack if he lost the ball.
As for Sesko, his fresh shin injury extends a lack of involvement that is keenly felt, and there is, as yet, no return date.
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 was scrapped when Amad Diallo suffered an ankle injury just before the opening game at Hull. Matheus Cunha was given the job 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, it feels restrictive. He is not a player who lacks confidence, but his decision-making appears to be suffering. Against Tottenham at the weekend, it took him an incredible 23 minutes to complete a pass.
On Monday, as he looked ahead to the Atletico meeting, Carrick said no-one was “guaranteed” a place in his team. He added enough caveats, however, 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.”