Coach Ruben Amorim: 'Today MU played better but still lost'

The sudden injury to Bruno Fernandes overshadowed Manchester United's loss to Aston Villa, causing additional difficulties for coach Ruben Amorim during a busy winter fixture period.

Bruno Fernandes' recent critical remarks about Manchester United had drawn most attention before the match against Aston Villa. However, Amorim's biggest concern ahead of the busy festive period was the midfielder's physical condition.

The 31-year-old Portuguese midfielder was seen repeatedly rubbing the back of his right thigh and appeared to be in considerable pain during an engaging first half, where Matheus Cunha equalized following a stunning opening goal by Morgan Rogers.

Although he tried to continue until halftime, Bruno Fernandes did not return after the break. Lisandro Martínez was brought on as a substitute before Rogers scored again to seal Aston Villa's victory.

Since arriving in English football in 2020, Bruno Fernandes has been known for his durability, missing only 17 out of 325 games Manchester United played during that time. Therefore, the concerning injury to the captain and team leader comes at a particularly sensitive moment for Amorim, who is already missing eight first-team players amid a packed winter schedule.

Just before kickoff, Manchester United’s head coach also revealed that Kobbie Mainoo could not participate at Villa Park due to a calf problem during training.

“I think it’s a soft tissue injury, so it might take some time. We will have to wait and see,” Amorim told Sky Sports when asked about Bruno Fernandes’ condition after United’s defeat.

“It’s really strange. This year, especially this period, we’ve faced many issues but have to adapt. I think Jack Fletcher made his debut, which is good news, and Shea Lacey as well. We will try to find solutions and focus on the next game. I’ve been coaching for six years, and even at Sporting, the philosophy revolved around the academy. It’s about tradition. Every coach wants to promote players from the academy rather than spending money because it adds value to the coach.”

“I just want to win and ensure that players coming up from the academy don’t face too much pressure. I’m simply trying to help the club, whether the players are from the academy or elsewhere.”

Despite his disappointment with the result, Amorim felt his team was “unlucky” at crucial moments and deserved to win.

“I think today we were the better team, but unfortunately still lost. We were unlucky, including with Bruno’s injury, but even without him on the pitch, we controlled the game better. We effectively blocked their transitions, while they made good use of their chances. We performed well, though that may be forgotten tomorrow because the result is what matters most.”

He added: “We knew Aston Villa would play with a dense midfield, so we needed to create overloads, which we practiced. We have various options and can use different starting lineups depending on the match, and the whole team is improving. Again, I believe we deserved more today, but the better team didn’t win.”