Manchester United captain Bruno Fernandes remains a pivotal figure at the club, even while sidelined with a hamstring injury, with manager Ruben Amorim jokingly suggesting the Portuguese midfielder might have designs on his job.
Fernandes's Sideline Influence Praised by Boss
Despite being ruled out of action for up to three more weeks after picking up the problem in the 2-1 defeat at Aston Villa on 21 December, Fernandes has maintained his vocal presence. Ruben Amorim highlighted the 31-year-old's commitment, noting he observes training sessions after receiving treatment.
"He's the guy that is watching training even after treatment. He's going there," Amorim said of his compatriot. "I don't know if he wants my job or not, but he's a leader. He cannot be that guy that when he is not playing, he's not talking and speaking. He's always speaking. That's why he's the captain."
The manager acknowledged Fernandes's on-pitch demeanour, which sometimes attracts criticism, but was emphatic about his overall value. "He has bad things sometimes, the way he moves his arms, but has a lot of good things too. So there are a lot of things that you don't see but that he does. He's a great leader all the time."
Mount a Doubt as Injury List Grows for Wolves
United's immediate focus turns to Tuesday night's 8.15pm Premier League fixture against Wolverhampton Wanderers at Old Trafford, but they face it with a depleted squad. Amorim confirmed that Fernandes has "no chance" of featuring against Wolves, despite already pushing to return to training.
The absentee list is set to grow, with midfielder Mason Mount a doubt after being substituted at half-time during the 1-0 Boxing Day victory over Newcastle United. "I don't know how Mase is going to be for that game," Amorim admitted.
He confirmed that Kobbie Mainoo, Matthijs de Ligt, and Harry Maguire will also be unavailable. With Noussair Mazraoui, Amad Diallo, and Bryan Mbeumo away at the Africa Cup of Nations, United could be without eight players in total.
Looking Ahead to Leeds Amidst Tight League Battle
When asked about potential returns for Sunday's trip to face Leeds United, Amorim offered a mixed update. "Kobbie Mainoo is going to start training on the pitch also, so we will see. Matthijs is struggling a little bit. Harry's the same, so I don't know."
The win over Newcastle propelled United to a season-high fifth place with 29 points, though they subsequently dropped to sixth after Liverpool's result. Despite Wolves' lowly league position, Amorim warned against complacency, pointing to their narrow 2-1 loss at Arsenal in mid-December, which was sealed by a last-gasp own goal.
"They show against Arsenal, they could get at least one point. So in the Premier League you never know," he cautioned. "They have their problems, we have our problems but there are no excuses. We need to win, we will try to win the game."
