Manchester United Faces Challenge Without Bruno Fernandes
Ruben Amorim may have preferred to avoid the topic, but Diogo Dalot was more forthcoming. The absence of Bruno Fernandes is set to be a significant setback for Manchester United.
The Portugal full-back, Dalot, expressed uncertainty regarding the severity of the injury that sidelined his teammate during the 2-1 loss against Aston Villa at halftime.
However, his message was clear: "It's massive," Dalot told Sky Sports. "We don't know how bad it is, but for him to come off, we know how tough he is."
For context, Fernandes has only missed two games due to injury since joining United, both occurring towards the end of the 2023-24 season while he managed a knee issue to participate in the FA Cup final. He has also missed one match due to illness.
As United's talisman and primary creative force, Fernandes has contributed five goals and seven assists this season, even while dropping into a deeper role. Up until the match at Villa Park, there had only been four Premier League games in which United scored without him being involved in at least one goal.
It is no surprise that Amorim chose to limit his comments on the implications of his captain's absence. "I don’t want to discuss matters you can’t control," he stated.
He confirmed that Fernandes would miss the upcoming Boxing Day match against Newcastle at Old Trafford, having felt a hamstring issue towards the end of the first half. Although he continued to play until halftime, he did not return for the second half and was seen moving slowly to the visitors' dugout.
'We are going to struggle' - Amorim's squad looking thin
The challenges facing Amorim are twofold: How does he replace Fernandes, and how long will he be out?
Following the Newcastle match, United faces four games in two weeks, culminating in an FA Cup third-round tie against Brighton. This comes at a time when key players Bryan Mbeumo, Amad Diallo, and Noussair Mazraoui are set to begin their Africa Cup of Nations campaigns, which could extend beyond the home game against Manchester City on January 17.
Moreover, experienced defenders Matthijs de Ligt and Harry Maguire show no immediate signs of returning from injuries that have kept them out for four and six matches, respectively.
Adding to the woes, Kobbie Mainoo, who has expressed frustration over not starting a league game this season, missed the trip to Villa due to a calf issue, which Amorim indicated would likely keep him out of the Newcastle match.
"We must find different solutions," he added.
The silver lining is the return of Casemiro from a one-match suspension. Manuel Ugarte is expected to be fit, although a statistic revealed post-match showed United has not won any of the last nine league games in which the Uruguayan midfielder has started—a record only surpassed by Brazilian Kleberson at United.
Centre-back Lisandro Martinez stepped in as Fernandes' direct replacement against Villa and performed adequately. However, Amorim previously mentioned that he would only consider using the Argentina international in midfield as an 'emergency,' highlighting the team's predicament.
England youth international Jack Fletcher, son of former United title winner Darren, made his debut as a substitute, but expectations for the 18-year-old must be tempered.
The lack of available players is increasing calls from supporters for the club to strengthen Amorim's squad during the January transfer window.
On Friday, the former Sporting coach expressed that he is not inclined to make panic purchases, stating he would only pursue pre-identified targets. There is interest in Bournemouth's Antoine Semenyo, while former Wolves captain Ruben Neves, who is reportedly looking to return to Europe from the Saudi Pro League, fits the profile of the midfielder United needs.
Despite only securing 10 points from their last eight games and dropping to seventh in the table, four points above the relegation zone, Amorim emphasized that he would not deviate from the club's long-term strategy. "What we cannot do is reach January and try to do everything in urgency, make mistakes, and then it’s ‘here we go again’ with a lot of errors," he stated.
"I’m not going to meet with [technical director] Jason [Wilcox] and [chief executive] Omar [Berrada] and say, ‘We need a lot of players.’ We have a plan. If we have to suffer, the club comes first. Of course, we are in a moment where we need points, but we need to find solutions and continue with our plan. You can feel in this moment we are going to struggle, but we will see."