Bruno Fernandes has slipped from the peak of his record-breaking 2025-26 season, and his three goals and one assist in Manchester United’s six Premier League games this term are a stark contrast to the phenomenal numbers he produced last year. Just seven weeks after he accepted the PFA Player of the Year award in Manchester, the United captain is at the centre of questions about his form and his role in his side’s struggles.
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. The Manchester United captain had already won the Premier League and Football Writers’ versions of the award, in recognition of his huge contribution to his side’s unexpected third-place finish.
Fernandes scored nine goals and claimed 21 assists, breaking a Premier League record jointly held by Thierry Henry and Kevin de Bruyne. Over the final 11 games of last season, he either scored or created 12 of United’s 21 goals. 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 involved in nine of the 12 goals.
Statistically, it was remarkable. It recalled Eric Cantona’s 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 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 this season’s numbers tell a far less impressive story.
A Difficult Start to the Season
Fernandes has played every minute of United’s six Premier League games. His three goals and one assist all came against Ipswich in the second game of the campaign, which remains his side’s only league win so far.
The raw numbers are actually better than last season’s opening spell, when he scored twice in the first six games and created nothing. However, he was then playing in the deeper midfield role that former manager Ruben Amorim preferred.
This season, Fernandes is averaging 3.3 shots per game, his second-highest figure for actual shots at United. His best was 3.5 in 2020-21. His average of 0.8 shots on target per game is joint-second lowest of his time at Old Trafford. His chance creation of 2.5 per game is also his second lowest at the club and is down significantly on the 4.0 he produced last season.
Even more striking, he has created just one “big chance” so far this season. That came from the lofted pass that sent Bryan Mbeumo clear of the Ipswich defence on 30 August. Last season, Fernandes averaged one big chance per game.
These figures help explain why United have collected just six points from their opening six games, their worst league start in 40 years. That was the season Ron Atkinson was sacked to make way for Sir Alex Ferguson.
But is Fernandes a reason for United’s malaise, or a symptom of it?
Fitness Concerns and Carrick’s Response
There is uncertainty over the Portugal playmaker’s fitness. Fernandes rarely misses a game, but he was left out of the recent Nations League match against Norway. 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. Before that, he played the full 90 minutes in United’s 4-0 Champions League win against Azerbaijani champions Sabah FK.
United manager Michael Carrick does not see it as a major 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.”
The Missing Partners
At the end of last season, when Fernandes was at his most prolific, Benjamin Sesko was a regular in the number nine role, and 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 absence of Sesko and Casemiro is clearly being felt beyond goals. Even Casemiro’s biggest admirers could not claim United’s current low running numbers stem from the 34-year-old’s summer departure to Inter Miami. His positioning and game knowledge remain of a high standard, and they allowed Fernandes to take risks, believing United would not be overrun on the counter-attack if he lost the ball.
As for Sesko, his fresh shin injury extends a spell without him, and there is still no end date for his return.
The club’s power brokers ignored calls to bring in more striking support over 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 got 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, that arrangement 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 just to complete a pass.
A Test of Leadership
On Monday, Carrick said no one was “guaranteed” a place in his team, though he surrounded that comment with enough caveats to suggest that dropping his captain is not in his thinking.
United must improve, and that means Fernandes must improve too.
“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.”