Bruno Fernandes has broken his silence on social media for the first time since his falling out with Michael Carrick, and he did so ahead of Manchester United’s trip to Chelsea on Saturday. The Portuguese playmaker posted a pre-match poster to his Instagram story on Friday afternoon, days after the two men held talks to clear the air.
Benched after public criticism
The fallout began after United’s 4-1 Champions League defeat to Como. Fernandes was visibly frustrated during the second half, shaking his head after Carrick substituted him for Joshua Zirkzee. In the aftermath, Fernandes publicly criticized Carrick’s system. The Englishman responded by suggesting that his tactics only work when players run enough.
Carrick then dropped Fernandes, the club captain, to the bench for Sunday’s 3-0 home loss to Bournemouth at Old Trafford. Fernandes did not play a minute.
Talks and a return to the starting lineup
Carrick and Fernandes met this week to resolve their differences. Many observers expect Fernandes to start against Chelsea at Stamford Bridge and play the full match.
Speaking after their discussion, Carrick said: “Listen, we’re clear with the situation of the team, and as a football club at the moment. As I’ve just said, he’s an important player for this group.
“He has been and he will be. Between us, we’ve got to make a difference and we’ve got to push things in a good direction.
“He’s fully committed to this football club, he’s fully committed to making things better. It doesn’t change for me. He’s the one that’s kind of led the team so well for many a game and many a year, and he’ll continue to do that.”
Fernandes, 32, then shared his message on Instagram, featuring a picture of himself running on the pitch alongside his signature.
Pressure mounts on Carrick
Carrick needs his best players available. United sit 16th in the Premier League table, with just one win from their opening eight matches. Sir Jim Ratcliffe is expected to attend the game in person, and Carrick has limited time to turn the season around.
Carrick said he is focused on what he can control. “The outside is not anything for me to focus on,” he said. “I know what we can affect, I know what we need to improve. I know as a group, leading a group, what help they need a little bit as well, and a bit of guidance at certain times, and dealing with certain things.
“That’s part of my direct role is them, who I care about and can affect the most directly. Of course we spoke.
“We have meetings as we do every single week, but some of the meetings go in different ways depending on results and the situation and the feeling. I have to say, the boys are hungry. We’re hurting because we haven’t won enough football games, but there’s an intensity, there’s a bit of an edge, there’s a disappointment, there’s a hunger to do better, for sure.”