Bruno Fernandes has gone four Premier League games without scoring or assisting, his longest such run since going seven in April and May 2025, and Michael Carrick must now decide whether his captain should lose his place as Manchester United prepare for Leeds.
A day before United’s Champions League trip to Atletico Madrid, the club issued a statement on Fernandes. It spoke of an “injury niggle” but stressed there was “nothing to worry about”. His performance in Madrid suggested otherwise. The statement may also have been an attempt to soften the criticism that has begun to engulf last year’s Premier League player of the season. His form has become an unexpected problem for Carrick and a reflection of where United stand more broadly.
Fernandes has long been United’s saviour, but he is now their biggest concern. When he is not contributing in attack, he offers little else. Combativeness without the ball has never been his role or strength. Still, United’s fragility means they cannot afford passengers.
Is it too early to panic?
Dropping Fernandes would be a bold move. The obvious question is who would replace him. Mason Mount would be the likeliest option, and Matheus Cunha can also play as a No 10. Both would be experimental choices in difficult conditions. Sunday’s trip to Leeds will be treated as a must-win game.
Carrick must also weigh the significance of benching his talisman. Fernandes is United’s best player and, through all the turmoil, he has shown himself to be the true embodiment of Old Trafford’s heart and tradition. If a decision to drop him backfires, Carrick will face even greater criticism. There is no easy answer.
A captain under pressure
Fernandes has looked off his game all season. His legs may have been drained by the World Cup this summer, or he may be playing close to the pain barrier. More likely, the weight of responsibility is pressing down on him. Being the club’s captain at Manchester United carries an enormous burden.
He is tired of being the only source of positivity, tired of his performances being so closely tied to the result, and tired of facing the media when results disappoint. Former captain Wayne Rooney said at half time in Madrid: “Maybe they need to take Bruno off because he’s not having the best game.” Yet if Carrick were betting on one player to produce the spark needed to get back into a hostile game at the Metropolitano, it would still be Fernandes.
Carrick has relied on him heavily. Fernandes has played 96 per cent of all available minutes under Carrick. He has been substituted only three times, against Manchester City, Liverpool and at Atletico Madrid on Tuesday, and each time it came after the 81st minute. He has been left out just once, in the EFL Cup against Brighton in September.
Carrick will also recognise the dip. Beyond the numbers, and it took Fernandes a remarkable 23 minutes to complete his first pass against Tottenham last weekend, his body language has become a concern. The familiar frustration is back. In Madrid he went through the full range of gestures: hands on face, hands on head, hands on hips, and finally hands together, clapping a fanbase whose patience appears to be wearing thin.
Deeper problems
These issues point to something larger. Lisandro Martinez delivered an extraordinary rant on Tuesday, criticising the club’s hierarchy, and his comments spread across social media almost as soon as he made them. Ultimately, he was voicing what most observers believe: the squad lacks the talent and depth needed to compete three times a week. Fernandes’ form is a symptom of that problem.
Manchester United have been criticised for overspending in one area while underinvesting in others. That is not Carrick’s fault. As Martinez put it, the failings lie “upstairs”. The reluctance to invest beyond a narrow focus on defensive midfielders is now showing on the pitch. Key players are being overplayed, and the optimism with which the season began has quickly faded.
A defeat at Elland Road would likely trigger a full crisis. Leeds are battle-hardened, and Daniel Farke will try to exploit United’s uncertainty. Leeds also enter the fixture ahead of United in the table for the first time since September 2002, which makes them one of the most intriguing opponents in the Premier League right now.
If Bruno Fernandes cannot lift Manchester United out of their own difficulties, the question is who will.