Bruno Fernandes was seen limping after Manchester United’s 4-0 Champions League win over Sabah, but the latest team news has given fans hope that he will be available for the Manchester derby.
Bruno Fernandes Injury Fears Ease Ahead of Manchester Derby After Sabah Scare
Manchester United have received an encouraging sign over Bruno Fernandes after the captain sparked injury fears following the 4-0 Champions League win over Sabah.
Fernandes was seen walking with a noticeable limp as he left Old Trafford after Thursday night’s match.
The video quickly caused concern among United supporters, especially with the Manchester derby against City coming only days later.
However, the latest team news suggests the situation may not be as serious as first feared.
Bruno was seen limping after the Sabah match
United enjoyed an excellent return to Champions League action by beating Sabah 4-0 at Old Trafford.
Fernandes was again at the centre of the action.
The United captain scored his side’s second goal and completed the full 90 minutes.
There was no clear sign during the match that he had suffered a serious injury.
But shortly after full-time, a video showed Fernandes leaving the stadium while appearing to walk with difficulty.
That immediately raised fears over his fitness ahead of the Manchester derby.
Fernandes did take a knock during the game
There was one moment during the second half that may help explain the concern.
Fernandes went down after a challenge from Sabah’s Kaheem Parris and was seen holding his back.
However, he was able to continue playing.
Fernandes eventually completed the entire match despite United already being in a comfortable position.
That is an important detail because it suggests the medical staff did not believe he had suffered an obvious serious injury during the game.
No official serious injury has been confirmed
The most important update is that Manchester United have not announced a serious injury for Fernandes.
There has also been no confirmed report of a scan revealing a major problem.
The sight of Fernandes limping was worrying, but a limp after a match does not automatically mean a player will miss the next game.
Players can suffer from knocks, muscle tightness or general soreness after completing 90 minutes.
For now, there is no confirmed evidence that Fernandes has suffered an injury that will keep him out for a long period.
Latest derby team news brings hope
The latest Manchester United team news ahead of the City game has provided another positive sign.
Fernandes is not currently listed among United’s injured players or major fitness doubts.
Amad Diallo, Matthijs de Ligt, Manuel Ugarte and Tom Heaton are among the players dealing with injury problems.
Luke Shaw and Carlos Baleba also have fitness questions surrounding them.
But Fernandes is not currently included in those groups.
He has also been included in predicted Manchester United starting line-ups for the derby.
Why United fans were so worried
The timing of the incident made the situation much more concerning.
United face Manchester City at Old Trafford on Sunday, meaning Carrick’s side have very little recovery time after their Champions League match.
Losing Fernandes would be a major blow before one of United’s biggest games of the season.
The Portuguese midfielder remains the captain and one of the most important attacking players in Carrick’s team.
He has also started the season strongly.
Against Sabah, Fernandes once again showed his importance by getting into the box and finishing United’s second goal.
Fernandes has played every minute so far
Another issue is his workload.
Fernandes has completed all four of Manchester United’s matches so far this season.
He is one of the few players Carrick has continued to use for almost every available minute.
Against Sabah, United were already 3-0 ahead before half-time.
Several players were later replaced as Carrick managed their minutes before the derby.
Fernandes, however, remained on the pitch until the final whistle.
That has created some debate over whether United should have protected their captain once the result was already safe.
Carrick had to manage his substitutions
United made several changes during the second half against Sabah.
Kobbie Mainoo, Benjamin Šeško, Patrick Dorgu and other players were given rest as Carrick prepared for the short turnaround before City.
Fernandes stayed on.
But the fact that he completed the game also provides some reassurance.
If Fernandes had suffered a clear serious problem, it would have been surprising to see him finish the full 90 minutes.
The Manchester derby is the real test
The next major update will come when United finalise their squad for the Manchester derby.
Current signs suggest Fernandes remains in contention to start.
But until United confirm their final team, some uncertainty will remain because of the way he was seen walking after the Sabah game.
The situation therefore needs to be described carefully.
Fernandes was clearly seen limping.
That created genuine injury fears.
But there is currently no confirmation that he has suffered a serious injury.
Latest signs are encouraging for Manchester United
For United supporters, the situation now looks more positive than it did immediately after the Sabah game.
Fernandes is not currently being treated publicly as a major injury doubt and is still expected by several reports to be involved against Manchester City.
That could be a huge boost for Carrick ahead of the derby.
United will still want to monitor their captain carefully after another demanding 90-minute performance.
But for now, the biggest fear has not been confirmed.
Bruno Fernandes left Old Trafford limping, but the latest signs suggest Manchester United may have avoided a major injury scare before the Manchester derby.
