Bruno Fernandes is facing questions about his form at Manchester United, with his output falling sharply just weeks after he was named PFA Player of the Year for 2025-26. The captain has three goals and one assist in six Premier League games this season, a far cry from the phenomenal contribution that earned him the award.
It is only seven weeks since Fernandes stood in the Manchester Opera House and spoke of his pride at receiving the PFA honour. He had already won the Premier League and Football Writers’ versions, recognising his part in his side’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, of the 21 goals United scored, he either scored himself or created 12 of them. In the seven-game run that carried United back into 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. It was reminiscent of 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 numbers are far less impressive.
A dip in output
Fernandes has played every minute of United’s six Premier League games. He has three goals and one assist, all coming in the second game of the campaign against Ipswich, which is still United’s only league win so far.
Those figures are actually better than last term, 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, at 2.5 per game, is the second lowest of his time at Old Trafford and well down on the 4.0 he produced last season.
Most striking of all, he has created just one “big chance” so far this season, a lofted pass that sent Bryan Mbeumo clear of the Ipswich defence on 30 August. Last season, he averaged one per game.
Those numbers help explain why United have collected just six points from their opening six games. It is their worst start to a league campaign in 40 years, when Ron Atkinson was sacked to make way for Sir Alex Ferguson.
But is Fernandes a cause of United’s problems, or a symptom of them?
Fitness questions
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 against Norway. National team 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 United’s 4-0 Champions League win against Azerbaijani champions Sabah FK.
Manager Michael Carrick does not see it as a major issue 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 support
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 clearly being felt beyond the goals column. Even Casemiro’s biggest admirers could not claim United’s current low running numbers are down to the 34-year-old leaving for Inter Miami in the summer. However, his positioning and game knowledge remain of a high standard. Those qualities allowed Fernandes to take risks, in the knowledge that United would not be overrun on transition if he lost the ball.
As for Sesko, his fresh shin injury extends a lack of involvement that is being keenly felt, and there is, as yet, no end date for it.
The club’s decision-makers ignored calls to bring in more striking support over the summer and instead reinforced Carrick’s midfield. A plan to cover the Slovenian’s initial absence by using Mbeumo as a number nine had to be scrapped when Amad Diallo injured his ankle just before the opening game at Hull.
Matheus Cunha was handed the job instead, but he repeatedly dropped deep, into the space Fernandes was occupying. The pair never found an effective way of dealing with it.
For Fernandes, it feels restrictive. While he is not a player who lacks confidence, 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 Champions League meeting with Atletico, Carrick said no-one was “guaranteed” a place in his team. He surrounded that comment with enough caveats 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.”
