Fernandes dropped to Man Utd bench - was Carrick right?
Manchester United manager Michael Carrick has benched captain Bruno Fernandes for a Premier League match following Fernandes' public criticism of team tactics. The decision follows a period of poor performance for the club.
Why it matters
High-profile internal conflicts at major sports clubs often reflect broader management challenges and influence team performance and fan sentiment.
Image source, Getty Images Image caption, Bruno Fernandes is on the substitutes' bench for Sunday's home game
Chief football news reporter at Old Trafford Published 25 October 2026, 12:58 GMT Updated 2 hours ago Manchester United captain Bruno Fernandes has been dropped for Sunday's Premier League game against Bournemouth.
Fernandes' place in the team has been debated since his explosive comments after Wednesday's Champions League humiliation by Como, when he blamed manager Michael Carrick for United's tactics in the 4-1 defeat and his failure to alter them.
Carrick refused to say in his media conference on Friday whether Fernandes would be dropped.
That has now happened, with the Portugal midfielder left on the bench as United aim to end a seven-match run without a win in all competitions.
Asked about the selection on Sky Sports, Carrick called Fernandes' omission "a football decision".
Headlinne story · 8 newsrooms
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