Manchester United boss Ruben Amorim fears Bruno Fernandes will be out for “a while” after picking up a soft tissue injury in Sunday’s defeat at Aston Villa.
Fernandes, United’s most durable and influential performer, has started every Premier League match this season, embodying the availability and authority Amorim has leaned on since taking charge. That run now appears set to end. The 31-year-old playmaker pulled up just before half-time at Villa Park, clutching what looked to be his hamstring, initially attempting to run it off before being withdrawn at the interval.
He did not return for the second half and is expected to miss Friday's Boxing Day clash with Newcastle United, at the very least, with Amorim mindful that he could be without the Portuguese star for an extended period during United's busy Christmas and New Year programme.
“I think it’s soft tissue so it’s going to be a while,” Amorim told Sky Sports. In his post-match press conference, the Portuguese coach offered little comfort. “I don’t know the severity. It’s a soft tissue injury and I think he’s going to lose some games. Let’s see. He is a guy who is always fit, so he can recover quite well, but I don’t know.”
The loss of Fernandes would be damaging at any point in the season. Coming during a congested festive period and amid an already thinning midfield, it threatens to test United’s depth and resilience. His injury compounded the absence of Kobbie Mainoo, the 20-year-old academy graduate who had dominated the build-up to the Villa Park trip after his half-brother wore a “Free Kobbie Mainoo” T-shirt during Monday’s chaotic 4-4 draw with Bournemouth at Old Trafford.
Mainoo was expected to make his first Premier League start of the season, only to suffer a calf problem in training on the eve of the match. Amorim confirmed the England international is likely to miss the Newcastle game too, leaving United short of options in the centre of the pitch.
“I will see what we are going to do,” Amorim said. “I think Kobbie Mainoo is out, Bruno is out, so we will see. We are going to find solutions. No excuses. We need to win the next game.”
Casemiro’s return from suspension offers some relief, while the assured performance of Fernandes' replacement, Lisandro Martinez, who is nominally a defender, against Villa gives Amorim at least an extra option. But the wider picture remains challenging. Bryan Mbeumo, Amad Diallo and Noussair Mazraoui are away at the Africa Cup of Nations, while Matthijs de Ligt and Harry Maguire have both missed recent matches.
The strain on United’s squad is evident, and Fernandes’ injury inevitably raises questions about whether reinforcements will be sought when the January transfer window opens.
Amorim, however, was keen to stress patience and planning over panic. “We need to deal with that,” he said. “What we cannot do is reach January and try to do everything in urgency and make mistakes and then ‘here we go again’ with a lot of mistakes.
“I’m not going to sit with Jason [Wilcox] and Omar [Berrada] and say we need a lot of players because we have a plan. If we have to suffer, the club comes first. Of course, we are in a moment where we need points, but we need to find solutions and continue with our plan.”
Those words underlined a broader philosophy that prioritises long-term structure over short-term fixes, even as results remain inconsistent. Against Villa, Amorim felt there were enough positives to take despite the defeat.
“I think we did really well,” he said. “I think we were the better team today. In the first minutes we created chances, we were consistent in the way we played and defended well. The frustration is still there, but we need to take the good things and prepare for the next one.”
Villa, meanwhile, continue to surge under Unai Emery, with the victory extending their winning run to 10 matches in all competitions and seven in a row in the Premier League. They head into Christmas third in the table, just three points behind leaders Arsenal, buoyed by the form of Morgan Rogers.
The 23-year-old followed last week’s double at West Ham with another brace, responding after Matheus Cunha’s leveller to tilt the game back in Villa’s favour.
“The result was fantastic, and this is the most important thing,” he said. “But how we compete was fantastic as well. Manchester United have their qualities and ideas, and we struggled at times. But our momentum over 90 minutes showed our qualities through different players.
“Emiliano Martinez saved with fantastic actions and Morgan Rogers played brilliantly, scoring goals. Overall, we did a fantastic job tactically.”
Rogers’ impact is increasingly central to Villa’s ambitions, particularly with demanding trips to Chelsea and Arsenal looming.
“He started the season not getting numbers but playing well,” Emery said. “Always doing his task, always with commitment and attitude. Now he is getting goals. He is the protagonist.”
For United, the immediate focus turns to Newcastle and the challenge of navigating the festive schedule without their captain. Fernandes’ absence would strip the side of creativity, leadership and the galvanising effect that has defined his United career.
Villa are next in action on Saturday with a trip to London to face Chelsea.
