As reported by the Manchester Evening News, Manchester United midfielder Bruno Fernandes will be suspended for next weekend’s Premier League match against Aston Villa due to his second caution of the day against West Ham yesterday.
Erik ten Hag will need to make adjustments at Villa Park since he has started the Portugal international for the number 10 position in the majority of the games.
With four cautionary warnings already under his belt, Fernandes’ fifth against the Hammers has resulted in a one-game suspension. Given that Christian Eriksen spent the majority of his senior career playing in attacking midfield, it is clear that he is the obvious alternative for Fernandes in that position.
In that situation, Scott McTominay or Fred might enter the game to join Casemiro in the middle of the park. In our opinion, Fred is more suited for the defensive midfield position. The Brazilian international might be expected to team up with fellow countryman Casemiro at Villa Park after his recent performance against Tottenham Hotspur, which included a goal.
On three separate instances this month, the pair have started next to one another. Another candidate to take Fernandes’ place is Donny van de Beek, but he hasn’t played much recently.
The 25-year-old, who has just recently recovered from a muscle injury, has only played 30 minutes in four outings for the Red Devils. In our opinion, he would not be a wise choice to start.
Ten Hag has publicly lauded Fernandes and recently claimed that he is magnificent in defensive transitions despite the fact that he has not contributed to goals consistently this season. The Red Devils will undoubtedly suffer from his absence, but the manager should still have faith in his team to defeat Villa after adjusting to other significant absences this season.
Raphael Varane’s hamstring injury will keep him out until the World Cup, but Victor Lindelof and Antony may return soon.
