Bruno Fernandes will serve a one-match ban this Sunday versus Liverpool after picking up a fifth yellow card in the closing stages of Manchester United’s 3-0 defeat to Bournemouth.
Whilst he’s not been in the most scintillating form as of late, supporters are already fretting about which player will slot into the midfield void left by Fernandes this weekend against Liverpool. Erik ten Hag also has a significant decision to make on who will be granted the captaincy in the Portugal star’s absence.
Fernandes has featured in 23 out of the 24 matches played so far this term, being named as a starter in all but one game; in the Reds’ fourth-round Carabao Cup loss to Newcastle United, he made a 25-minute cameo off the bench.
In the two outings that the 29-year-old didn’t start, Raphael Varane donned the armband against Crystal Palace and Casemiro captained the squad against the Magpies. The former has since fallen out of favour, while the latter is sidelined for Sunday’s showdown at Anfield.
Ten Hag addresses captaincy speculation… kind of
Asked whether he’d decided which member of his team would be named captain for the highly-anticipated clash, Ten Hag kept tight-lipped on the matter. He simply responded: “Yes, I know.”
Pushed further on whether he’d be revealing the name, the Dutchman said: “No.”
With Bruno Fernandes suspended, who will captain Manchester United against Liverpool on Sunday? 🤔🔴 pic.twitter.com/NaGCCKeZTR
— Sky Sports Premier League (@SkySportsPL) December 15, 2023
Footage courtesy of Sky Sports.
