"It's over for us" - Manchester United fans fear their season is over as 29-year-old star reportedly picks up injury ahead of Palace clash
Manchester United fans have written their season off after seeing reports claiming Bruno Fernandes will miss his side's clash with Crystal Palace tonight (May 6). The Portuguese playmaker has been playing through an ankle issue for a while and is a major doubt for the encounter with the Eagles at Selhurst Park, per INSIDER UNITED.
Fernandes has been vital for the Red Devils this season amid a disappointing campaign as a collective under Erik ten Hag. He's made 45 appearances across competitions, registering 15 goals and 11 assists.
Manchester United can't qualify for next season's UEFA Champions League and their best hope is Europa League football. They have a fight on their hands as they sit eighth having been leapfrogged by Chelsea over the weekend.
Ten Hag takes his troops to Palace who are shining under new manager Oliver Glasner. They've won three of their last five games including a 1-0 win away at Liverpool.
Fernandes' absence could be hugely problematic for Ten Hag but could allow Mason Mount an opportunity to prove his worth. The former Chelsea playmaker's ideal position is in attacking midfield and he recently returned from a long-term injury.
However, the Old Trafford faithful have downplayed their chances of finishing the season positively. The overall feeling among fans on social media is that Fernandes' injury will lead to a dismal ending.
One fan thinks it's over for Manchester United:
"It's over for us."
Here's how fans on X (formerly Twitter) reacted to Fernandes seemingly missing his side's clash with Palace:
"He's been run into the ground. He never gets injured, has Ten Hag as his manager, and misses a game. That's not a coincidence. Hopefully, Mount can step up tonight," one fan pointed out.
"One guy who was never injured is now injured. What bad luck we are having," another fan sighed.
"Yeah our seasons a wrap man. Having Iron man tryna beat the press of Palace we're so screwed," one fan wrote.
"Lol 2-1 Palace, United will finish 8th or 9th and runners up in the FA Cup we all know," another fan predicted.
"Well done Erik, you broke the unbreakable. You've sunk the titanic," one fan blamed Ten Hag.
Bruno Fernandes will miss his first game of Manchester United's season through injury
There's a reason Manchester United fans dub Fernandes as Ironman and it stems from his constant availability. If those reports are true and he misses the Palace trip, it will be the first game he misses this season through injury.
The Portugal international has only missed two games across competitions. One was due to accumulating too many yellow cards and the other was he sat out on the bench in a Carabao Cup third round 3-0 win against Palace.
Fernandes was asked about his availability and how he never suffers from burnout. He told Sky Sports at the backend of last season:
"I was one of the first players in Portugal to play 56 games for the club in one season...I can do it, I'm physically available to do it. I don't know if I have any secrets - my mother and father will know - but they made myself in a way that I can be available for every game."
Fernandes star has made 230 appearances since joining Manchester United from Sporting CP in January 2020. He's missed just one game due to illness since then (March 2022) but tonight his unbelievable record looks set to end.