Will MU waste another season because of Bruno Fernandes?

Bruno Fernandes' importance exceeds many people's expectations. Currently, MU will lose him for approximately one month due to injury. The captain is missing at the exact time when the Red Devils face the toughest part of the season. If MU cannot overcome this difficulty, the 2025/26 season might conclude early.

Midfield in danger

MU suffers heavy blow after Aston Villa defeat. Not only did they lose 3 points, but the Manchester club was also stunned by the serious injury to their captain Bruno Fernandes. The Portuguese midfielder had to leave the pitch at Villa Park in the 46th minute due to a soft tissue injury. The 31-year-old midfielder is expected to return only by the end of January next year, but even that is uncertain.

As soon as Bruno Fernandes got injured, the cameras captured a worried look from coach Ruben Amorim. Amorim’s anxiety is understandable. Simply because his fellow Portuguese midfielder is a crucial link in MU’s tactical setup. He has played in all matches since the start of the 2025/26 season and mostly started in the lineup. Clearly, Amorim “dared not” rest Bruno Fernandes even for rotation. He fully understands there is no one else in the team with his qualities. Despite criticism and backlash from fans for not utilizing Mainoo—who somewhat shares Bruno’s skills—Amorim has essentially “neglected” and “abandoned” him even at a time when the club’s midfield options are very limited.

One notable detail after Bruno Fernandes’ injury is that Ruben Amorim replaced him with defender Lisandro Martinez. The Argentine star played exactly in the position of the Portuguese international in MU’s midfield. This clearly highlights a serious issue: Manchester United is struggling severely in midfield, leaving Amorim with few options to substitute Fernandes.

We must acknowledge that Lisandro Martinez is not a true midfielder. It’s somewhat acceptable to play him in a central or more defensive role, but placing him in Bruno Fernandes’ spot would be a “disaster.” Now, Amorim must carefully plan. However, with his somewhat stubborn coaching style, it’s uncertain if Amorim will give Mainoo another chance. He might still choose Lisandro Martinez - Ugarte - Casemiro for the next match. Or maybe Amorim will drop Cunha down to play as an attacking midfielder? That could work, but who will partner Sesko upfront? Manchester United is genuinely “falling apart” offensively because besides Bruno Fernandes, they have also lost other stars in this area who are away with their national teams for AFCON 2025, such as Bryan Mbeumo, Amad Diallo…

Without Fernandes and lacking a decent budget to sign dream targets like Elliot Anderson or Adam Wharton, Amorim must make do with what he has. But how well he can manage and what the outcome will be for MU remains unclear. Nevertheless, concern for the club surged immediately upon hearing that Bruno Fernandes would miss several matches.

Another wasted season for MU?

Such a comment may seem harsh and a bit negative, but everyone understands how crucial the end of the old year and start of the new year are in the Premier League. Some clubs will surge ahead, while others will fall drastically. Therefore, how Amorim steers MU during this critical period will almost certainly determine the club’s fate by the end of the 2025/26 season. MU is truly unlucky, with Bruno Fernandes getting injured just when the Red Devils’ midfield is most depleted. Moreover, this huge loss comes at the peak of the season, when Manchester United faces an extremely congested schedule with four matches in the next two weeks. MU supporters are beginning to think that the 1-2 defeat to Aston Villa is just the beginning of a new crisis at Old Trafford.

In the first month of 2026, MU will face two very strong opponents. These are the top contenders for the 2025/26 Premier League title: matches against Man City in round 22 and immediately after, a match versus Arsenal. Imagine a MU without Diallo, Mbeumo, De Ligt, Maguire, and Bruno Fernandes—how will they cope against these title challengers? MU will probably have to fight with pride, passion, intensity, and honor so that whatever happens, they can hold their heads high.

After 17 rounds, MU currently sits in 7th place in the league standings Premier League. Although they are only 3 points behind the Top 4, that gap seems difficult to close because MU has dropped points against lower-ranked teams like Everton or Bournemouth and failed to control results against clubs like Aston Villa. Even if MU’s management allows Amorim to buy players in the 2025 winter transfer window, there is no guarantee the new signings will perform well or meet expectations. No MU fan expects their beloved team to regress in the near future, but they also dare not dream unrealistically.