Bruno Fernandes has struggled to recapture his form this season, with his numbers well down on the prolific campaign that made him PFA Player of the Year just seven weeks ago. The Manchester United captain has three goals and one assist in six Premier League games, and his output has dipped across several key measures.
It is only seven weeks since Fernandes stood in the Manchester Opera House and spoke of his pride at being named PFA Player of the Year for 2025-26. He had already won the Premier League and Football Writers’ versions of the award, in recognition of his phenomenal contribution to United’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 found the net himself or created 12 of them. In the seven-game run that swept United back into Europe’s elite club competition after a two-year absence, the 31-year-old was a central figure in nine of the 12 goals.
Statistically, it was remarkable, reminiscent of Eric Cantona in the 1995-96 title-winning campaign when he scored in six successive games, five of them when United only scored 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 compared with those exceptional statistics, there are far less impressive numbers this season. Fernandes has played every minute of United’s six Premier League games. He has three goals and one assist, all coming against Ipswich in the second game of the campaign, which remains his side’s only win.
The numbers are better than last term, when he scored twice in the opening six games and failed to create any. However, at that point, Fernandes was playing in the deeper midfield role Ruben Amorim preferred.
Dipping output
This season is Fernandes’ second highest for actual shots, at an average of 3.3 per game, although his best was 3.5 in 2020-21. It is, however, his joint-second lowest for shots on target, at an average of 0.8. His chance creation, at 2.5 per game, is also the second lowest of his time at Old Trafford and well down on the 4.0 he returned last season.
More startling still, he has created just one “big chance” so far this season, the lofted pass that sent Bryan Mbeumo running clear of the Ipswich defence on 30 August. His average last season was one per game.
These figures help explain why United have collected just six points from their opening six games, their worst start to a league campaign in 40 years. But is Fernandes a reason for United’s malaise, or a symptom of it?
Fitness and team selection
There is uncertainty over the Portugal playmaker’s fitness. Fernandes rarely misses a game but was left out of the recent Nations League encounter with Norway, as 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, and he completed the full 90 minutes in the 4-0 Champions League win against Azerbaijani champions Sabah FK.
United manager Michael Carrick does not view it as an 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 partners
Towards the end of last season, when Fernandes’ contribution was at its most prolific, Benjamin Sesko was a regular in the number nine role, while 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 presence of Sesko and Casemiro is clearly being missed. Even Casemiro’s biggest admirers could not claim United’s current low running stats are down to the 34-year-old leaving for Inter Miami in the summer, although his positioning and game knowledge remain of a high standard. Fernandes could take risks in the belief 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.
The club’s power brokers ignored a clamour for more striking support in 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 suffered an ankle injury just before the opening game at Hull. Matheus Cunha was given the job instead, but he repeatedly dropped deep, into the space Fernandes was occupying, and 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 just to complete a pass.
Carrick said on Monday that no one was “guaranteed” a place in his team, but he added enough caveats to indicate that leaving out his captain is not in his thinking.
“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.”
United must start to improve, and that means Fernandes must do the same.