Bruno Fernandes left out by Michael Carrick for Bournemouth match after tactical criticism

Bruno Fernandes has been omitted from Manchester United’s starting XI for the first time in the Premier League under manager Michael Carrick.

The United captain is on the bench for Sunday’s game against Bournemouth at Old Trafford, in the eighth round of the Premier League, days after criticising the team’s tactical approach.

It is the first time Carrick has selected a Premier League starting line-up without Fernandes since taking charge in January. According to Opta, it is only the sixth occasion in Fernandes’ Premier League career that he has started a match among the substitutes.

Fernandes questioned United’s style of play after their 4-1 defeat by Italian club Como in the Champions League. He said the team had not pressed their opponents man-to-man, instead dropping back and waiting to regain possession.

That approach, Fernandes suggested, gave Como more space and allowed them to play with greater confidence.

The decision to leave him out comes despite Fernandes’ considerable influence on United’s attacking performances since Carrick’s first match as manager in January.

During that period, the Portugal international has created 14 goals and fashioned 96 chances. Those figures make him the leading player across Europe’s five major leagues for both assists and chances created over the same timeframe.

Carrick had stressed after the defeat by Como that carrying out the team’s tactical instructions required players to run and move in both directions.

The former Manchester United midfielder also warned that the team would not be able to win matches unless the players followed those demands.

OptaJoe confirmed Fernandes’ omission in a post on 25 October 2026, writing: “For only the sixth time, Bruno Fernandes has been named on the bench for a Premier League game. Today is the first time Michael Carrick has named a Premier League starting XI without Fernandes in it.”

Fernandes’ place among the substitutes represents a notable change under Carrick, given his uninterrupted presence in the manager’s previous Premier League selections and his attacking output since January.