Bruno Fernandes has been far less productive for Manchester United in the early weeks of 2026-27 than he was during his record-breaking 2025-26 season, and the statistics point to a clear drop in his influence. He has played every minute of United’s six Premier League games, yet he has three goals and one assist, all coming in a 4-0 win over Ipswich, the only victory of the campaign so far.
Only seven weeks ago, Fernandes stood in the Manchester Opera House and accepted the PFA Player of the Year award for 2025-26. He had already won the Premier League and Football Writers’ versions of the honour, recognizing his outstanding contribution to United’s unexpected third-place finish. He scored nine goals and recorded 21 assists in the league, a total that broke a Premier League record jointly held by Thierry Henry and Kevin de Bruyne.
Over the final 11 games of last season, Fernandes either scored or created 12 of United’s 21 goals. In the seven-game run that returned United to Europe’s elite club competition after a two-year absence, the 31-year-old was involved in nine of the club’s 12 goals. Statistically, it was a remarkable spell, reminiscent of Eric Cantona in the 1995-96 title-winning campaign, when he scored in six successive games, five of them when United managed only one goal.
“It was a special season for me,” Fernandes told an appreciative audience. “I am very proud.
“But we don’t play tennis. We don’t play just for ourselves. We play for a team, we play for a club, we play for the fans. There is nothing more special than that.”
Those words carry particular weight now, because this season’s numbers are far less impressive. The early returns, though, are slightly better than they were at this stage last term, when Fernandes scored twice in the opening six games and created nothing. At that point, however, he was operating in the deeper midfield role that Ruben Amorim preferred.
Shots and chance creation tell a worrying story
Fernandes is taking more shots this season than in most of his years at Old Trafford, averaging 3.3 per game. Only his 3.5 per game in 2020-21 was higher. Yet his shots on target have fallen to an average of 0.8 per game, the joint-second lowest of his time at the club. His chance creation has also dropped to 2.5 per game, the second lowest of his Old Trafford career and well below the 4.0 he produced last season.
Perhaps most striking, he has created just one “big chance” so far this season, the lofted pass that sent Bryan Mbeumo clear of the Ipswich defense on 30 August. He averaged one per game last season.
These figures help explain why United have collected just six points from their opening six games, their worst league start in 40 years. That run came in the season when Ron Atkinson was sacked to make way for Sir Alex Ferguson. The central question now is whether Fernandes is a cause of United’s struggles or a symptom of them.
Fitness and the captain’s role
Questions also surround the Portugal playmaker’s fitness. Fernandes rarely misses a game, but he was left out of the recent Nations League match against Norway. National team boss Jorge Jesus said the former Sporting player was “playing through pain.”
Fernandes did return for the final two internationals of the extended break. Before that, he played the full 90 minutes in a 4-0 Champions League win over Azerbaijani champions Sabah FK.
United manager Michael Carrick does not consider the issue a major concern as he prepares his side to face Atletico Madrid on Tuesday.
“He was carrying something but that happens a lot,” Carrick said. “Players play with issues.
“It’s not ideal but it is manageable. Bruno is able to play. That is the commitment he has got.
“He is pretty much over it, was really bright in training this morning and is looking forward to the game.”
Missing partners in attack and midfield
Towards the end of last season, when Fernandes was at his most productive, Benjamin Sesko regularly played as the number nine, and veteran Brazilian Casemiro anchored the midfield. Of the nine league goals Sesko has scored in 2026, Fernandes created four. He also set up four of the final five goals Casemiro scored for United from 1 February onward.
The absence of both players is now clearly felt. Casemiro left for Inter Miami in the summer, and United’s current low running numbers cannot be blamed solely on his departure. His positioning and game knowledge remain of a high standard, and they gave Fernandes the freedom to take risks, since United could rely on Casemiro to limit damage if possession was lost.
Sesko’s fresh shin injury extends a lack of involvement that the club is feeling keenly, and there is no confirmed date for his return.
United’s leadership ignored calls for more striking support in the summer and instead strengthened Carrick’s midfield. A plan to cover Sesko’s initial absence by using Mbeumo as a number nine was scrapped when Amad Diallo suffered an ankle injury just before the opening game at Hull. Matheus Cunha took over the role, but he repeatedly dropped deep into the space Fernandes occupied, and the pair never found an effective way to deal with the overlap.
For Fernandes, the system feels restrictive. He is not a player who lacks confidence, but his decision-making appears to be suffering. Against Tottenham at the weekend, he took an incredible 23 minutes to complete a single pass.
Carrick backs his captain
On Monday, Carrick said that no one was “guaranteed” a place in his team ahead of the Champions League meeting with Atletico. He surrounded that comment with enough caveats to suggest that leaving out his captain is not under consideration.
United must improve, and that means Fernandes must improve with them.
“He’s a top player, Bruno,” Carrick said.
“Sometimes things don’t quite go for you. Sometimes you have a spell of that.
“But he’s done some incredible things for this football club and he will do the same in the future, there’s no doubt about that.”
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