According to the Manchester Evening News, Bruno Fernandes' poor form is partly due to overuse by Carrick.

Last season, Bruno Fernandes was prolific in creating chances and broke the Premier League assist record, but recent weeks have shown that he is also only human.

Fernandes looked a shadow of his former self and was uncharacteristically ineffective in the match. He produced another poor display in Tuesday night's Champions League fixture against Atlético Madrid.

Manchester United's captain did not touch the ball in Atlético's box until the second half and completed just two passes into the final third throughout the entire match.

In the 57th minute, Tielemans played a through ball, and Fernandes spurned a clear goalscoring opportunity. Seeing this, Carrick held his head in disbelief.

As the ball rolled past the goal, Fernandes' face was etched with despair. He has converted countless chances like this during his six and a half years at the club.

Had it not been for Bruno Fernandes' reputation, Carrick would likely have substituted him at half-time. Fernandes was playing poorly, and a substitution would have made sense, but world-class players can always find inspiration even when out of form.

At the Metropolitano Stadium, Fernandes was initially deployed on the right wing, with Tielemans operating as a number 10, but he was allowed to move into other areas. In theory, this should have allowed him to play at his best.

However, Fernandes' performance did not improve. He has looked fatigued since the World Cup. This was evident in the first half when he was slow to get up after being fouled by Álex Baena.

Although Fernandes had time to select the correct passing option, he hesitated on the ball, allowing Baena to press him from behind. Normally, he would release the ball quickly and not spend so long on the ground.

"Maybe they need to take Bruno off because he's not playing well," Rooney said at half-time. That was the only occasion when a suggestion to substitute him for another midfielder sounded reasonable.

After Tielemans was substituted, Fernandes reverted to the number 10 position and even struck the post, almost making an impact on an otherwise poor night. However, after Atlético extended their lead to 2-0, it came as no surprise that Carrick substituted him, as Manchester United, down to ten men, had no way back into the game.

The 32-year-old left the field with a dejected expression. Atlético's stadium will host the Champions League final at the end of this season, but Fernandes knows it would take a miracle for Manchester United to be there in June.

Fernandes has been playing injured, which is one of the main reasons for his dip in form, but he also knows he should be performing better.

When asked about Fernandes' condition before the match, Carrick drew on his own experience as a player to discuss playing through injuries, emphasising that players are rarely at 100% during an entire season.

He also predicted that Fernandes would regain his form. "He's done incredible things for this club, and he will continue to do so; there's no doubt about that," Carrick said, expressing confidence in his captain.

However, Carrick is also aware that Fernandes' current performance is below his own expectations. Last weekend against Tottenham, it took him 23 minutes to complete his first pass—the longest he has had to wait to find a teammate in his Premier League career.

Carrick also bears responsibility for Fernandes' decline in form. Tuesday night was the first time he has substituted Fernandes this season. Manchester United has had a congested fixture list this season, and Fernandes' playing time should have been managed carefully, but he has instead been overloaded.

Last month, Manchester United's Champions League match against Šabac was already under control, but Fernandes played the full 90 minutes despite not feeling well—a baffling decision and an example of poor management.

Carrick needs Fernandes back to his best as quickly as possible to get the team back on track after a poor start. But the problem is that his performance in Madrid shows the midfielder is still far from reversing his downturn.

Traduzido por IA.

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