Michael Carrick has made a major selection call, dropping Bruno Fernandes from Manchester United's starting lineup for the first time in nearly five years. The captain will begin Saturday's Premier League match against Bournemouth on the bench at Old Trafford.
Carrick confirmed the decision was made for football reasons, stating his priority is the team's dynamics. "The most important thing for me is the team, the squad and dynamics in the squad," the United manager said. "It's about the football club. I'll always do what is best for the football club." The move follows a 4-1 Champions League defeat to Como in midweek, after which Fernandes had publicly questioned the team's tactical approach.
The 32-year-old playmaker has started every Premier League and Champions League match this season but has not registered a goal or an assist in United's last seven games across all competitions. His most recent contribution was a goal in the 4-0 Champions League win over Sabah on September 10. Fernandes has been a near-ever-present since his arrival from Sporting CP in January 2020, featuring in 186 of the club's 197 Premier League matches.
United's form has collapsed, with the team now winless in seven matches. They sit 15th in the Premier League table with just seven points from their opening seven games. Bryan Mbeumo, the club's top scorer with four goals this season, will lead the line against a Bournemouth side that is 17th. The Cherries were beaten 4-1 at Old Trafford in the teams' last meeting in July 2025.
Carrick has reshuffled his pack, with Senne Lammens starting in goal behind a defence featuring Diogo Dalot, Leny Yoro, Harry Maguire and Ayden Heaven. The midfield quartet is set to be Andrey Santos, Carlos Baleba, Youri Tielemans and Mason Mount.
Supporters reacted strongly to the team news on social media. One fan wrote the move "should have happened a couple weeks ago instead of trying to fit him into different positions." Another supporter, Nick Barwick, posted: "Bloody h**l… Maybe Carrick is the one after all."
The decision represents a significant moment for Carrick's authority as he seeks to arrest a slide that has seen United fall 14 points behind league leaders Manchester City. Their immediate focus is on securing three points against Bournemouth at Old Trafford on Saturday afternoon, a fixture which kicks off at 15:00 BST and is key to their hopes of climbing the standings.
The report in full is at Sportskeeda
