"We have to see what is possible" - Manchester United boss Erik ten Hag issues update on Bruno Fernandes amid injury fears
Manchester United manager Erik ten Hag has said that Bruno Fernandes is doubtful for the Premier League clash against Tottenham Hotspur on Thursday (April 27).
Fernandes picked up an ankle injury in the first half of Manchester United’s FA Cup semifinal shootout win (7-6 on penalties) over Brighton & Hove Albion on Sunday. The player carried on at Wembley till he was replaced by Wout Weghorst in the 101st minute.
The Portugal star returned to Manchester with the team on Sunday night, and tests were carried out on Monday. Later, Fernandes’ wife took to Instagram to share an update on his recovery. The playmaker was pictured wearing black protective plastic on his right foot and keeping it in an elevated position with the help of three cushions. Protective boots and crutches were also spotted near him.
Understandably, Ten Hag was quizzed about Fernandes’ fitness when he kicked off his pre-match press conference ahead of the Tottenham clash. The Dutchman admitted that he's unsure about the extent of Fernandes' injury but added that both Lisandro Martinez and Raphael Varane would miss the Tottenham game.
He said (via Manchester Evening News):
"There are some unavailable - Martinez, Varane. We have to see how Bruno Fernandes is; we don't know yet. Is a question mark. But I think for the rest, we are quite okay."
The Red Devils are fourth in the Premier League, six points clear of Spurs despite playing two games fewer. They need a win at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium to open up a potentially unbridgeable gap.
Fernades has been an ever-present in Ten Hag’s line-up this season. He has featured in 50 games across competitions, scoring ten times and claiming 13 assists.
How Manchester United's Bruno Fernandes has fared in his career?
Having risen through the ranks at Boavista, Bruno Fernandes grabbed eyeballs at Udinese Calcio between 2013 and 2016. The Portuguese played 95 games for the Italian outfit in three seasons, recording 11 goals and 13 assists.
He spent the 2016-17 season on loan at Sampdoria. Impressing with five goals and three assists in 35 games, he was permanently signed by the club ahead of the 2017-18 season. Curiously, Sampdoria sold him to FC Porto for €9.7 million in the same window, booking a profit of €3.7 million.
Between 2017 and 2020, Fernandes emerged as one of the best players in Portugal. In 137 games, he booked 63 goals and 50 assists, drawing interest from Manchester United.
In the winter of 2020, Manchester United signed him for a €63 million fee, and he has since become one of their most important players. He has played 176 games for United in all competitions, scoring 60 times and providing 52 assists. His contract with the Red Devils runs out in 2026.