Michael Carrick believes Bruno Fernandes can rediscover the form that carried him to a hat-trick of individual awards last season, but warned that no player in his team is undroppable.
Fernandes struggling for form
Fernandes has been battling fitness issues this season and although he has three goals and two assists, they came in games against Ipswich and Sabah at Old Trafford.
He has looked a shadow of the player who registered a record-breaking 21 assists in the Premier League last season and his dip in form has led to United going off the boil as well. But Carrick has no concerns about the ability of his captain to reach the heights once again, having turned 32 last month.
Carrick's backing
"I think it's pretty obvious to say that he can," he said. "I mean, he's a top player, Bruno, and sometimes things don't quite go for you, and sometimes you have a spell of that, and he's done some incredible things for this football club and he will do the same in the future, there's no doubt about that."
Fernandes has been off colour since that Sabah game and looked short of full fitness once again on Saturday, but Carrick insisted there were no concerns there.
No guarantees
But he did stress that nobody in his side was undroppable. Although the question was asked about Fernandes, Carrick made it clear that nobody gets that sort of treatment in his squad.
"Nobody's guaranteed a place in the team," he said. "Don't take that as oh, so that's on Bruno - I don't mean that, that's just in general."
"There's a level of performance, there's a level of behaviour, there's a level of understanding that we need as a group and as a squad and as a team to perform and all the boys know that, they understand that, they've got their own standards and they want to achieve things and they want to be the best, so I think that's pretty clear and it has to be like that."
Baleba in line for start
One player who could be in line for a start in Madrid is £70million midfielder Carlos Baleba, after he came off the bench against Spurs to make his long-awaited debut.
"Really encouraged," Carrick said of that first outing. "We know what Carlos can bring. We've got really good options in midfield, and with Carlos now with us, that brings different options, variations, and flexibility to adapt in that way."
"I was really happy with how he came on the other day, and that gave him a really good step, of feeling Old Trafford, getting that first one under his belt, and moving on from there."
