Bruno Fernandes has been named among the substitutes for Manchester United’s Premier League meeting with Bournemouth at Old Trafford on Sunday, after criticising the team’s tactical approach.
Michael Carrick has left the Portuguese midfielder out of his starting XI for the first time since becoming Manchester United manager in January. The decision comes just days after Fernandes questioned the way the side played in their 4-1 Champions League defeat by Italian club Como.
It is also only the sixth time in his Premier League career that Fernandes has started a match on the bench, according to Opta. The appearance against Bournemouth is the first Premier League line-up Carrick has selected without the Manchester United captain included in the starting team.
Fernandes spoke critically about the team’s approach following the loss to Como. He said Manchester United had not pressed their opponents on a man-to-man basis, instead dropping back and waiting to regain possession.
According to Fernandes, that approach gave Como more space and allowed them to play with greater confidence. His comments came as Manchester United prepared for their eighth Premier League fixture of the season.
The midfielder’s importance to Carrick’s attacking system is reflected in the statistics. Since the English manager’s first match in charge in January, Fernandes has created 96 chances and provided 14 assists.
Those figures make him the leading player for both assists and chances created across Europe’s five major leagues during that period. Despite his influence in attack, he will begin Sunday’s match from the substitutes’ bench.
Carrick had emphasised the demands of his tactical plan after the defeat by Como, saying his players needed to run and move in both directions to carry it out effectively.
The manager also warned that Manchester United would not be able to win matches unless the players committed themselves to those demands. His decision to select a starting XI without Fernandes now follows those comments and the captain’s criticism of the team’s performance.
Fernandes remains available to Carrick as a substitute at Old Trafford, but his absence from the starting line-up marks a notable change in the manager’s selections since taking charge.
