Bruno Fernandes' pre-season training achievements at Manchester United remain a remarkable feat, with his results stunning team-mates. The United skipper will be absent when the squad reconvenes at Old Trafford on Thursday due to World Cup commitments with Portugal.
Extended Rest After World Cup Exit
Fernandes, 31, is set for an extended rest period after Portugal's tournament exit on Monday, losing 1-0 to Spain in the round of 16. While several team-mates return for pre-season, he will miss another chance to defy odds, having done so memorably in 2020.
Lockdown Training Feat
The midfielder completed his move to United in January 2020, but barely two months later, the Premier League was suspended for three months due to the COVID-19 pandemic. With players prohibited from training together, the squad maintained fitness via Zoom sessions and home-based exercise routines.
When the league resumed in mid-June, Fernandes not only maintained his exceptional physical condition but improved it. According to the Manchester Evening News, the Portuguese star actually quickened his pace during lockdown. While acceleration isn't typically among his strongest qualities, he featured among the club's quickest players, recording a top speed of 34.27 km/h based on sprints over 5.5 metres.
Remote Monitoring System
Every United player had their fitness monitored remotely via a system known as STATSsport. The GPS player tracker was also used by 10 other top-flight clubs while players trained from home.
Outstanding Season
Fernandes enjoyed an outstanding individual season with United in the 2025/26 campaign, claiming the FWA Footballer of the Year and Premier League Player of the Season awards. However, he struggled to replicate his club form at the World Cup, failing to score and managing only one assist.
Criticism of Portugal's Tactics
Following the defeat to Spain, Fernandes criticised his team's cautious approach. He said: "It's a sad moment. We had the clear objective of winning the World Cup, but we weren't at our best. In the first half, we were superior, but in the second half we made the mistake again of dropping too deep and giving the ball to the opponent. When that happens, we end up suffering."
Fernandes added: "Spain deserves credit, but I believe that if we had continued doing what we were doing in the first half, we would have left here with a different result. It's sad how we left the tournament, we had the quality for more. We faltered by giving Spain too much of the game, which is what they really want. Then our legs start to get heavy, the spaces start to get bigger. We should have continued to be aggressive, tried to prevent Spain from playing so much, we should have played more with the ball, we have the quality for that and we ended up losing ourselves a little. It's a missed opportunity, we had the quality to win the World Cup. We couldn't get the best out of everyone in the best way and we left the World Cup prematurely."
