Manchester United head coach Ruben Amorim says it is “impossible” to replace Bruno Fernandes as captain as he is sidelined with a muscular injury.
Fernandes was sent off against Aston Villa at the weekend and Amorim did not confirm when he would return, but confirmed live on Sky Sports that the midfielder would not feature in the Boxing Day game against Newcastle.
Amorim hopes Fernandes’ absence will give other players the opportunity to step up and lead the team and take up midfield positions.
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“Bruno cannot be replaced,” the head coach said at the pre-match press conference. “But I told the team this morning that when something good happens, we need to take it and we need a lot of people to step up.
“It’s not just the creation. On every set piece, he’s the guy who brings the team together and it’s a good opportunity for everyone to step up and realize you can’t rely on one player for everything.”
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Ruben Amorim believes Bruno Fernandes has suffered a soft tissue injury and feels the Manchester United captain will be out for a while
“Sometimes we rely on Bruno for organization and creation. This is huge for the team because we lost Bruno, Brian (Mbeumo) and Amado on set pieces.
“This is a good chance for Lucha (Lissandro Martinez), Luke Shaw and all of those guys to step up and have more leaders in the group.”
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Dharmesh Sheth and Kaveh Solhekor discuss whether Bruno Fernandes’ injury will give Koby Mainu a chance to flourish at Manchester United
On who could replace Fernandes in Manchester United’s midfield, Amorim added: “We have other players. We will probably have to look at different ways of playing.”
“I think Jack Fletcher did a very good job[against Aston Villa]. That’s why we need to give space to Jack and other players when we have this opportunity. We’re going to find a solution to play.”
“I’m confident that we can win any game. We have some problems, but I believe in the team, even if we don’t have many players right now. It’s more difficult, but I believe in the players. If we are really focused on the game, we can win.”
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Manchester United captain Bruno Fernandes has revealed he was hurt and saddened by the fact that Manchester United were “willing” to sell him in the summer.
Amorim’s comments about Fernandes come almost a week after the midfielder claimed Manchester United bosses wanted to sign him in the summer but lacked the courage to defy the head coach.
The United captain, who could have joined Saudi Professional League club Al Hilal for £100m, said in an interview with Portuguese broadcaster Canal 11 that he was “hurt” and “sad” at the way the situation had been handled.
Sky Sports News understands that the club’s leaders had made it clear to Fernandes all summer that he was part of their plans and they had no intention of selling him, and they remain adamant.
Amorim: I have a different manager than I had a year ago.
In an exclusive interview with Sky Sports ahead of their Boxing Day clash with Newcastle, Amorim said he is a “different” and “better” manager than he was a year ago. Manchester United’s head coach added that he would also do a lot of things differently and has learned a lot since joining the club.
He said: “I want to go back to last year. We have a lot of pain in this moment, but I would do things differently.”
“I’ve learned more this year as a manager than any other five. I’m going to do a lot of things differently, not just in everything, but on the pitch and in the way I play the game.”
“Whatever happens in the future, I learned a lot and I’m a different manager.
“It’s hard to pinpoint one thing, but given all the values of last year’s team, maybe it wasn’t always the right choice. I watched last season’s games to understand different things.
“I’m a different coach today. I’ll do 75 percent of the things differently, but the important things, the red lines, will be the same. I think I’m a better coach now.”
