Bruno Fernandes has broken his silence on social media for the first time since his falling out with Michael Carrick, days after the pair held talks to clear the air. The Portuguese playmaker had been benched for the 3-0 loss to Bournemouth at Old Trafford, and he did not play a minute of that match.
Fernandes had been part of the Manchester United squad that lost 4-1 to Como in the Champions League. He looked visibly frustrated as he shook his head after being substituted for Joshua Zirkzee in the second half. In the aftermath, Fernandes publicly criticised Carrick’s system. The Englishman fired back at the club captain by suggesting that his tactics only work when players run enough.
The pair then met this week ahead of Saturday’s 12.30pm kick-off against Chelsea at Stamford Bridge, a game in which many expect Fernandes to start and play throughout.
Speaking after their discussion, Carrick said: “Listen, we’re clear with the situation of the team, and as a football club at the moment. As I’ve just said, he’s an important player for this group.”
He added: “He has been and he will be. Between us, we’ve got to make a difference and we’ve got to push things in a good direction.”
Carrick also backed his captain’s commitment: “He’s fully committed to this football club, he’s fully committed to making things better. It doesn’t change for me. He’s the one that’s kind of led the team so well for many a game and many a year, and he’ll continue to do that.”
Fernandes Returns to Social Media
Fernandes then broke his silence on Instagram on Friday afternoon. The 32-year-old uploaded a pre-match poster to his stories featuring himself running on the pitch, with his signature on the right.
The timing matters for Carrick, who needs his best players available on Saturday. United sit 16th in the Premier League table, with just one win from their opening eight matches. Sir Jim Ratcliffe is expected to watch the game in person at Stamford Bridge, and Carrick has limited time to turn results around.
Carrick Focuses on the Squad
Asked about the pressure, Carrick said: “The outside is not anything for me to focus on. I know what we can affect, I know what we need to improve. I know as a group, leading a group, what help they need a little bit as well, and a bit of guidance at certain times, and dealing with certain things.”
He added: “That’s part of my direct role is them, who I care about and can affect the most directly. Of course we spoke. We have meetings as we do every single week, but some of the meetings go in different ways depending on results and the situation and the feeling.”
Carrick concluded: “I have to say, the boys are hungry. We’re hurting because we haven’t won enough football games, but there’s an intensity, there’s a bit of an edge, there’s a disappointment, there’s a hunger to do better, for sure.”