Manchester United captain Bruno Fernandes has been left out of the starting line-up for the first time in the Premier League since Michael Carrick became manager, after the Portugal international criticised the team’s tactical approach.
Fernandes will begin Sunday’s match against Bournemouth at Old Trafford on the substitutes’ bench, as Manchester United face their opponents in the eighth round of the Premier League.
It is the first time Carrick has selected a Premier League starting XI without Fernandes since taking charge in January. According to statistics provider Opta, it is only the sixth time in Fernandes’ Premier League career that he has started a match as a substitute.
The decision comes days after Fernandes questioned Manchester United’s performance following their 4-1 defeat by Como in the Champions League.
The midfielder said the team had not pressed opponents man-to-man and had instead dropped back while waiting to regain possession. He felt that approach had given Como more space and confidence to play.
Fernandes’ omission is notable given his influence in the attacking system under Carrick. Since the manager’s first match in charge in January, Fernandes has created 14 goals and 96 chances.
Those figures make him the leading player for both assists and chances created among footballers in Europe’s five major leagues over the same period.
Carrick had emphasised the demands of his tactical plan after the defeat by Como, saying its success depended on players running and moving in both directions.
The Manchester United manager also made clear that the team would not be able to win matches unless the players carried out those responsibilities and remained committed to the required movement.
Fernandes’ comments came in the aftermath of a heavy European defeat and raised questions about the contrast between the team’s intended approach and its execution on the pitch. Carrick has now responded by leaving his captain out of the side for the Bournemouth fixture.
OptaJoe confirmed the selection on social media, noting that this was the first occasion on which Carrick had named a Premier League Manchester United starting XI without Fernandes. It also highlighted that the match represented only the sixth time Fernandes had been named on the bench for a Premier League game.
The Bournemouth match therefore marks the first Premier League starting line-up of Carrick’s tenure in which Manchester United’s captain is not included, while Fernandes remains available among the substitutes at Old Trafford.
