Is Man Utd's Fernandes issue a symptom or reason for their form?
Manchester United skipper Bruno Fernandes is yet to reach the highs of last season - is it because of his side's poor start or the reason for it?
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Towards the end of last season, when Fernandes' contribution was at its most prolific, Benjamin Sesko was a regular in the number nine role, while veteran Brazilian Casemiro was the anchor in United's midfield.
Of the nine league goals Sesko has scored in 2026, Fernandes created four. Fernandes was responsible for setting up four of the final five goals Casemiro scored as a Manchester United player from 1 February onwards.
Quite aside from goals, it is also clear the presence of Sesko and Casemiro is being missed.
Even Casemiro's biggest admirers could not claim United's current low running stats are because the 34-year-old left for Inter Miami in the summer. However, his positioning and game knowledge remain of a high standard. Fernandes could take risks in the belief United would not be overrun on transition if he lost the ball.
As for Sesko, his fresh shin injury merely extends a lack of involvement which is being keenly felt and for which, as yet, there is no end date.
The club's power brokers ignored a clamour to bring in more striking support in the summer and instead reinforced Carrick's midfield.
But a plan to cover the Slovenian's initial absence by using Mbeumo as a number nine had to be scrapped when Amad Diallo suffered an ankle injury just before the opening game at Hull.
Matheus Cunha was given the job instead, but he repeatedly dropped deep, right into the space Fernandes was occupying, and the pair never really found an effective way of dealing with it.
For Fernandes, it feels restrictive, and while he is not a player who lacks confidence, it does seem his decision-making is being affected.
Against Tottenham at the weekend, it took Fernandes an incredible 23 minutes just to complete a pass.
Carrick said on Monday, as he looked ahead to the Champions League meeting with Atletico, that no-one was "guaranteed" a place in his team - but put enough caveats around it to indicate leaving out his captain is not in his thinking.
However, United must start to improve and, that means Fernandes must do the same.
"He's a top player, Bruno," Carrick said.
"Sometimes things don't quite go for you. Sometimes you have a spell of that.
"But 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."
