Jamie Carragher has claimed that several Manchester United players will relish playing without Bruno Fernandes after the midfielder was dropped to the bench by Michael Carrick. The Portuguese star, who criticised the manager's tactics after Wednesday night's match, will start from the bench for the Bournemouth game at Old Trafford.
Fernandes, last year's Player of the Year, has long been the team's talisman but will now start from the bench for just the fifth time since joining the club in January 2020. Despite his quality, the former Sporting Lisbon man has faced criticism for his on-pitch conduct, with Carragher suggesting his antics signal a lack of confidence in his teammates.
Carragher's Verdict on Fernandes
Speaking on Sky Sports, Carragher said: "You don't want it to blow up in your face, he is Manchester United's best player, we can't get away from that. PFA Player of the Year last year, but Carrick had to make a stand."
He added: "And you're hoping that this brings us together as a group because there's no doubt about it, even though he's their best player, there will be a lot of people who don't actually like playing with Fernandes. He's always throwing his arms up at people, he's basically saying 'you lot aren't good enough to play with me'. We see that a lot from Fernandes."
Players Urged to Stick Together
Carragher continued: "So hopefully the players will stick together, they'll need the support as well, because confidence is low. They'll need to start well, and actually enjoy playing football together. And if things aren't going well, or someone gives a pass away, you get together, keep encouraging and push each other on."
Last weekend, Lisandro Martinez, who publicly attacked the Old Trafford hierarchy, was still handed a starting role for the game at Leeds. However, Fernandes' attack on his manager has seen him overlooked, although Carrick claimed the decision was football-related.
Team Selection and Reactions
United will start with a front three of Amad, Mason Mount and Bryan Mbeumo. Fernandes is joined on the bench by the likes of Matheus Cunha and Joshua Zirkzee.
Gary Neville said ahead of Sunday's clash: "The two most prominent players in the team - a World Cup winner and the PFA Player of the Year - coming out and hammering the owners, hammering the sporting director and criticising the manager, all in the space of a week means the players have completely gone."
