Who will fill captain Bruno's boots?

UNITED HAVE RARE PROBLEM TO SOLVE

- BY FELIX KEITH

IT IS A problem Manchester United have not really had to deal with but one that no faces Ruben Amorim: what do you do without Bruno Fernandes?

The Portugal star is not only United's captain and talisman. He is also a near ever-present. Since signing from Sporting Lisbon in January 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 there, in almost every starting lineup, making 308 appearances and contributing 103 goals and 93 assists.

Fernandes 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 and utter dominance of Amorim's team.

And now he is unavailable.

For how long? We do not yet know. Amorim said he will likely "lose some games" after being forced off at halftime against Aston Villa on Sunday.