“There were many fouls on him” - Erik ten Hag slams Nottingham Forest for targeting Manchester United superstar
Manchester United manager Erik ten Hag has accused Nottingham Forest of deliberately targeting superstar midfielder Bruno Fernandes in United's narrow 1-0 victory in the FA Cup on Wednesday, February 28.
Ten Hag is under immense pressure to deliver consistent performances till the end of the season to keep his job at the club. He got a major reprieve after his side grabbed a last-minute winner against Forest to remain in the hunt for silverware this season.
In his post-match press conference, Ten Hag said that Fernandes had to play through multiple knocks after being subjected to rough tackling by the Forest players, which left him limping at the end of the game. He said:
"I don't want to go into that because you saw that Forest was targeting him, so I don't tell what he has but it was a serious injury. There were many fouls on him. Maybe I am a little bit too tough but when he has the ball they were really tight on him."
The Dutch coach also condemned the "pathetic" criticism of the Portuguese midfielder despite playing through a "serious injury" he picked up in the Red Devils' 2-1 loss to Fulham last week.
"Then I see that serious media criticise him and social media is pathetic and it can't be. He has a serious injury but he continued to play on Saturday and today he also fought to be part of the game," he added.
Manchester United were shaky throughout the game but delivered when it mattered the most. Captain Fernandes delivered a long free-kick into the box which was nodded home by Brazilian midfielder Casemiro in the 89th minute to secure their passage to the quarterfinals.
Manchester United superstar Bruno Fernandes provides 2-word update amidst injury concerns
Bruno Fernandes was seen limping off the field, as well as when he left the stadium at the end of the game. A video of him struggling to walk has been doing the rounds on social media (via Samuel Luckhurst on X), causing concern amongst United supporters.
Fernandes took to Instagram soon after, posting a picture of him and Casemiro celebrating.
"Next round," he captioned the post.
Fernandes has been one of the standout players for Manchester United in a disappointing 2023-24 season. United are currently sixth in the Premier League and were dumped out of the Champions League after finishing rock bottom of their group.
However, the Portuguese talisman has bagged an impressive seven goals and eight assists in 35 appearances across competitions this season.
Up next for Manchester United is a mouthwatering clash against Manchester City in the Premier League on March 3. They will take on Liverpool in the FA Cup quarterfinals on Match 16.