Manchester United suffered a disappointing 2-1 defeat to Aston Villa in their recent Premier League fixture, compounded by troubling injury news from manager Ruben Amorim concerning key midfield players.
The Red Devils’ captain, Bruno Fernandes, was forced off at halftime after appearing to pull up clutching his hamstring late in the first half. Amorim described the issue as a “soft tissue” injury and warned that the influential midfielder is expected to be sidelined for “a while”, with the precise extent of the absence still unclear.
Amorim made clear that Fernandes’ injury is a significant blow, particularly given the timing during a congested period of fixtures through the festive season. The manager noted that while he hopes Fernandes’ strong fitness record will aid his recovery, the team must prepare for matches without him. Fernandes has enjoyed remarkable availability for United over the past seasons, making his potential absence especially impactful.
In addition to Fernandes, Amorim confirmed that Kobbie Mainoo is also unavailable after picking up a calf problem in training, further depleting United’s midfield options. The club’s injury challenges were already well underway, with players such as Bryan Mbeumo, Amad Diallo and Noussair Mazraoui away on international duty at the Africa Cup of Nations, and other senior players like Matthijs de Ligt and Harry Maguire sidelined.
Despite the setbacks, Amorim maintained a positive tone in his post-match comments, insisting that his side were the better team for much of the match and that they must find solutions rather than make excuses. He highlighted that younger squad members were given valuable opportunities in the absence of the regular starters and called on the squad to step up in upcoming fixtures.
United’s next test comes at home, where they are preparing to host their next opponents during a demanding festive schedule. With Fernandes and Mainoo set to miss games, the challenge for the squad and coaching staff will be to adapt their formations and personnel to maintain competitive performances while key players recover.