Manchester United captain Bruno Fernandes was back in action for Portugal and the fans were stunned by his yet another match-winning display for his country.
The 29-year-old midfielder was everywhere on the field, covering every blade of grass as Roberto Martinez’s side defeated Sweden by a 5-2 scoreline in the Euros warm-up match.
Fernandes scored the game’s third goal and provided an assist as well. He completed 100 per cent of his dribbles and boasted 83 per cent passing accuracy.
He also made sure he contributed to the defence by winning three ground duels and two tackles. Manager Martinez preferred to bench many of his first-team players or substituted them after half-time.
Bruno Fernandes' last 16 appearances for Portugal 🇵🇹
🆚 Nigeria: ⚽️⚽️
🆚 Ghana: 🅰️🅰️
🆚 Uruguay: ⚽️⚽️
🆚 Switzerland: 🅰️
🆚 Morocco: ❌
🆚 Liechtenstein: ❌
🆚 Luxembourg: 🅰️
🆚 Bosnia: ⚽️⚽️🅰️
🆚 Iceland: ❌
🆚 Slovakia: ⚽️
🆚 Luxembourg: ⚽️🅰️🅰️🅰️
🆚 Slovakia: 🅰️🅰️
🆚 Bosnia:… pic.twitter.com/ThJmPvpiSi— UtdDistrict (@UtdDistrict) March 21, 2024
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However, Fernandes along with Bernardo Silva, Joao Paulinha and Ruben Dias played the entire 90 minutes of the game.
The Man United star certainly gave a glimpse of how dangerous he can be ahead of the Euros 2024 in Germany.
It is expected that the manager may again utilise the midfielder against Slovenia in their next warm-up match.
Man United needs to be careful with Bruno Fernandes’ fitness
In our opinion, the experienced midfield general should be given some rest after playing successive games for club and country.
The former Sporting CP star suffered a dead leg in the FA Cup clash against Liverpool last week and was allowed to play in defence in the extra time.
The management must be careful not to over-stretch the player to the limit that he is unable to play regularly. The Red Devils are nine points behind fourth-placed Aston Villa and have some difficult games to play before the season ends.
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Fernandes’ presence is vital for the team’s quest to finish in the top four. Erik ten Hag will be once again counting on the captain and his ability to be in top shape at the most crucial time of the year.
It remains to be seen whether the Portuguese maestro is given the nod to play another full 90 mins in their next warm-up clash.