BRUNO'S K.O WILL HIT HARD FOR REDS

Amorim faces a headache if his talismanic skipper is missing for an extended period

- BY FELIX KEITH

IT is a problem Ruben Amorim has not had to deal with but one that he is now faced with: what to do without Bruno Fernandes.

Fernandes is not only Manchester United's captain and talisman. He is also a near ever-present on the pitch.

Since signing from Sporting Lisbon in 2020, the playmaker has barely missed a match.

He sat out of two games at the end of the 2023-24 season with a knee complaint and, later, another due to illness.

Otherwise he has been in almost every starting lineup, making 308 appearances and contributing 103 goals and 93 assists for the Red Devils.

Fernandes (above) is inarguably United's best and most consistent player - and he is arguably the most important player for any Premier League side, such is his complete dominance of Amorim's team.

And now he is unavailable.

For how long? We don't yet know. Amorim said he will likely “lose some games” after being forced off at halftime against Aston Villa on Sunday.

Diogo Dalot described his absence - for Boxing Day's game against Newcastle at least - as “massive”, with Bryan Mbeumo, Amad and Noussair Mazraoui at the Africa Cup of Nations and Harry Maguire and Matthijs De Ligt also injured.

Massive just about covers it.