According to Manchester Evening News, Bruno Fernandes has played through an injury for approximately three matches, and Manchester United is concerned about his physical condition. The playmaker's performance has been below his usual standard in recent weeks.

Carrington training ground has certainly been busy this season, but for Manchester United, the biggest concern may be the one player who rarely misses a match.

De Ligt, Shaw, Baleba, Mount, Amad, and Sesko have all dealt with injury problems, and Doku, who recently suffered a hamstring injury while on international duty, will join their injury list.

But Bruno Fernandes remains almost indestructible as always. Just seven matches into the season, Bruno Fernandes continues his familiar pattern, being the player with the most minutes played under Carrick.

The 32-year-old has appeared in all seven matches, accumulating 558 minutes—the highest on the team. Last season, he was second in minutes played; the season before that he was first; third in 2023/24; and second again in both 2021/22 and 2022/23. Bruno Fernandes has played more matches for Manchester United than anyone else; he is not only dependable but the team's most relied-upon player.

For the past seven years, no Manchester United manager has had to answer one question: What does Manchester United look like without Bruno Fernandes? Any manager would be concerned with this dilemma.

Perhaps the one who will eventually face this question is Carrick. Currently, Carrick, who is fighting for his future at Old Trafford, would certainly be reluctant to see Bruno Fernandes sidelined.

The captain remains Manchester United's best player and the core of the team's creativity. He is usually the one who pulls the team out of difficult situations. Before the international break, it was already clear his performance fell short of his usual standard, and now the reason is evident.

Portugal coach Jesus stated: "He told me he has been playing with this pain for about three matches, which is one reason why he couldn't perform at his normal level against Wales." Jesus decided to rest Bruno Fernandes for the match against Norway, and Manchester United's medical team has communicated with their Portuguese counterparts.

The "about three matches" mentioned by Jesus refers to the games against Manchester City, Brighton, and Fulham. Manchester United has indicated that Bruno Fernandes pushed himself to the limit to play in the last two Premier League matches, against Manchester City and Fulham.

It appears clear that Bruno Fernandes suffered the injury during the Champions League match when he was seen limping off the pitch. Manchester United led 3-0 at the end of the first half in that match, yet he played the full 90 minutes—a decision that seemed questionable at the time, and Carrick was questioned about it after the match.

Carrick said: "We only have five substitutions. We have to make some assessments about the situation on the pitch. But of course, he's like everyone else. He's played many matches this season, but I think we're building a team and squad to handle these situations in a different way. Tonight was just one situation where a decision had to be made, and ultimately, he stayed on the pitch."

If Carrick must operate without Bruno Fernandes in the future, this decision may come to haunt him. For now, Manchester United continues to manage Bruno Fernandes' fitness, and he remains with the Portuguese national team, expected to be available for matches against Denmark and Norway.

Even a Bruno Fernandes operating at 80% fitness would cause Manchester United's performance to decline. If he were to miss an extended period, Carrick would face a serious problem. Cunha and Mount might be the primary candidates to replace him, but their track records are far less impressive than Bruno Fernandes'.

Carrick hopes he won't have to face such a situation, but the season has only just begun, and Bruno Fernandes is already dealing with fitness issues, with very little rest time apparently available to him now.

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