Bruno Fernandes is struggling for form this season, with just three goals and one assist in Manchester United’s six Premier League games, a sharp drop from the record-breaking campaign that earned him the PFA Player of the Year award only seven weeks ago. United have collected only six points from those games, their worst league start in 40 years.
Fernandes, who has now scored 111 goals in 335 appearances for United, spoke in August at the Manchester Opera House about his pride at winning the PFA award for 2025-26. He had already claimed the Premier League and Football Writers’ versions of the honour, recognising his huge contribution to United’s unexpected third-place finish.
Last season, Fernandes scored nine goals and created 21 assists, breaking a Premier League record jointly held by Thierry Henry and Kevin de Bruyne. Over the final 11 games, he either scored or assisted 12 of United’s 21 goals. In the seven-game run that sent United back into Europe’s elite club competition after a two-year absence, the 31-year-old was involved in nine of their 12 goals.
Those figures were reminiscent of Eric Cantona in the 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 said at the awards event. “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 extra weight now, because this season’s numbers tell a much less impressive story.
A Difficult Start to the Season
Fernandes has played every minute of United’s six Premier League games this season. His three goals and one assist all came in one match, a win over Ipswich in the second game of the campaign, which remains United’s only league victory so far.
Those returns are slightly better than last season’s start, when he scored twice in the opening six games and created nothing. At that stage, however, Fernandes played in the deeper midfield role that Ruben Amorim preferred.
This season, Fernandes is averaging 3.3 shots per game, his second-highest figure for shots, although his best was 3.5 in 2020-21. His average of 0.8 shots on target is joint-second lowest of his time at Old Trafford. His chance creation has also fallen to 2.5 per game, the second-lowest of his United career and well down on the 4.0 he produced last season.
Perhaps most striking, 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, Fernandes averaged one big chance per game.
These numbers, combined with his general involvement, go some way to explaining United’s poor start. The key question is whether Fernandes is a cause of the club’s problems or a symptom of them.
Fitness Questions and Manager Backing
Fernandes’ fitness has also come under scrutiny. He rarely misses games, but he was left out of Portugal’s recent Nations League match against Norway. National team boss Jorge Jesus said the former Sporting man was “playing through pain”.
Fernandes did return for Portugal’s final two internationals of the break. Before that, he played the full 90 minutes in United’s 4-0 Champions League win over Azerbaijani champions Sabah FK.
United manager Michael Carrick does not see his fitness as a major issue as he prepares the side for Tuesday’s Champions League match against Atletico Madrid.
“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.”
The Missing Partners
Fernandes’ output peaked late last season alongside Benjamin Sesko, who was a regular in the number nine role, and veteran Brazilian Casemiro, who anchored United’s midfield. Fernandes created four of the nine league goals Sesko has scored in 2026. He also set up four of the final five goals Casemiro scored for United from 1 February onwards.
The absence of both players is now being felt. Casemiro’s departure for Inter Miami in the summer cannot fully explain United’s low running numbers, although the 34-year-old’s positioning and game knowledge were of a high standard. His presence allowed Fernandes to take risks, knowing United would not be overrun on the counterattack if he lost the ball.
Sesko’s fresh shin injury extends a lack of involvement that is keenly felt, and there is no return date yet.
United’s leadership ignored calls for more striking support in the summer and instead reinforced Carrick’s midfield. A plan to cover Sesko’s initial absence by using Mbeumo as a number nine was scrapped when Amad Diallo suffered an ankle injury just before the opening game at Hull. Matheus Cunha took on the role, but he repeatedly dropped deep into the space Fernandes occupied, and the pair never found an effective way to deal with it.
For Fernandes, the system feels restrictive. He is not a player who lacks confidence, but his decision-making appears to be suffering. Against Tottenham at the weekend, it took him an incredible 23 minutes to complete a pass.
Carrick Stands By His Captain
On Monday, 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 under consideration.
United must improve, and Fernandes must lead that change.
“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.”