According to Manchester Evening News, Bruno Fernandes' poor form is a result of Carrick overusing the midfielder.

Last season, Bruno Fernandes excelled at creating chances and even broke Premier League assist records, but recent weeks have shown he is only human.

Fernandes has become a shadow of his former self, and inconsistency has affected his impact on matches. He delivered another poor performance in Tuesday night's Champions League clash against Atlético Madrid.

The United captain didn't touch the ball in Atlético's penalty area until the second half and completed just two passes into the attacking third throughout the match.

In the 57th minute, Tielemans played a through ball, and Fernandes missed a one-on-one chance. Witnessing this, Carrick held his head in disbelief.

As the ball rattled wide of the post, Fernandes' face showed clear desperation. He has converted such chances numerous times during his six-and-a-half years at the club.

If it weren't Bruno Fernandes, Carrick would likely have substituted him in the first half. Fernandes played poorly, and a change would have been justified, but world-class players can always find inspiration even when out of form.

At the Metropolitano, Fernandes was initially deployed on the right wing, with Tielemans playing in the number 10 role, but he was allowed to drift into other areas. In theory, this should have maximized his strengths.

However, Fernandes' performance showed no signs of improvement. He has appeared tired since the World Cup, evident from his sluggish recovery after being fouled by Álex Baena in the first half.

Although Fernandes had time to choose the right passing option, he hesitated, allowing Baena to pressure from behind. Normally, he would pass quickly and wouldn't spend so much time on the ground.

"Perhaps they need to substitute Bruno because he's not playing well tonight," Rooney said at halftime. It was the only time a suggestion to replace him with a midfielder sounded reasonable.

After Tielemans was substituted, Fernandes returned to the number 10 position and even struck the crossbar, nearly making an impact on an otherwise poor evening. However, it was no surprise when Carrick eventually replaced him after Atlético went 2-0 up, as United, down to ten men, had no way back.

The 32-year-old left the pitch with a disappointed expression. Atlético's stadium will host the Champions League final at the end of this season, but Fernandes knows that United would need a miracle to be there in June.

Fernandes is playing through an injury, which is a major factor in his poor form, but he also knows he should be performing better.

When asked about Fernandes' condition before the match, Carrick drew on his experience playing through injuries, pointing out that players rarely reach 100% fitness throughout an entire season.

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

However, Carrick is also aware that Fernandes' current performances fall short of the standards he sets for himself. Last weekend against Tottenham, he even took 23 minutes to complete his first pass—the longest wait to find a teammate in his Premier League career.

Carrick must also bear responsibility for Fernandes' form slump. Tuesday night was the first time this season he has substituted Fernandes. United has a congested fixture list this season, and Fernandes' playing time should have been carefully managed, but instead he has been overused.

United's Champions League match against Sabah last month was an easy victory, yet Fernandes played the full match despite not being fit—a puzzling decision and an example of poor management.

Carrick needs Fernandes to quickly rediscover his best form to get the team back on track after a poor start. But the problem is that his performance in Madrid suggests the midfielder still has a long way to go before reversing his slump.

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