Bruno Fernandes has become one of Manchester United’s most reliable players but a concerning trend is emerging regarding the Portuguese playmaker’s future at Old Trafford
Manchester United star Bruno Fernandes has been warned that he could face lasting damage as a result of his energy-sapping workload. The Portuguese has been a near ever-present in the Red Devils’ side since his arrival in 2020.
And the former Sporting Lisbon star’s performances have been constantly impressive. Fernandes, 30, has scored 95 goals and notched over 80 assists for United in 281 appearances.
Despite that productivity, Fernandes has been warned by the PFA – a union that represents professional footballers in the UK – that his demanding fixture list could see him suffer once his career comes to an end.
PFA chief executive Maheta Molango said to ESPN: “I think one of the big question marks is what would be the impact in the long run of that overload? Because we as a union also see the consequence of people when they retire in front of their body.
“And I can tell you the number of people having hip replacement, knee replacement was already big. What will happen to someone who plays consistently 60, 70 games back-to-back in back-to-back seasons? How will their hips be? How will their knee be? I think it’s a big question mark.”
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It appears that Molango’s fears are well founded in data. Fernandes has actually played more football than anyone else in the world since 2018 as per FIFPRO.
Fernandes has played over 40,000 minutes of football for both club and country in the past seven years – the next highest being former Leicester and current Celtic goalkeeper Kasper Schmeichel, who boasts 38,716 minutes of action over the last seven seasons.
And while Fernandes has been a constant presence for United, they might want to consider how to lower his workload. Any long-term injury to Fernandes could really harm the Red Devils’ prospects given how much they rely on him.
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Away from injuries, United might be forced to be without their captain in the near future after links with Real Madrid. Amid those rumours, United boss Ruben Amorim dismissed an exit out of hand, ironically pointing towards how reliant his side were on their captain.
Asked about the rumours, he replied: “No, it’s not going to happen, before adding: “That is the challenge. I want Bruno here because we want to win the Premier League again so we want the best players. He’s [30] but still so [fit], plays 55 games every season and between assists and goals he’s there for 30 at least, so he’s not going anywhere.
“We are in control of the situation and I feel that he is really happy here. Sometimes, the frustration that everybody sees and [they] maybe say is not a good thing in a captain, but it’s a sign he wants this [success] so bad. He’s not going anywhere because I’ve already told him.”
Fernandes only signed a new deal with United at the start of the current season, with that deal running until 2027.
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