Is Man Utd's Fernandes issue a symptom or reason for their form?

It is only seven weeks since Bruno Fernandes stood in the Manchester Opera House and spoke of his pride at being named PFA Player of the Year for 2025-26.

The Manchester United captain had already won the Premier League and Football Writers' versions, in recognition of the phenomenal contribution to his side's unexpected third-place finish.

Fernandes scored nine goals and claimed 21 assists, breaking a Premier League record jointly held by Thierry Henry and Kevin de Bruyne that had stood for 23 years.

Over the final 11 games of the season, of the 21 goals United scored, Fernandes either found the net himself or created 12 of them. In the seven-game run that swept United back into Europe's elite club competition after a two-year absence, the 31-year-old was a central figure in nine out of 12 goals. Statistically, it was remarkable, reminiscent of Eric Cantona in the 1995-96 title-winning campaign when he scored in six successive games, five of them when United only scored once.

"It was a special season for me," Fernandes told an appreciative audience. "I am very proud.

"But we don't play tennis. We don't play just for ourselves. We play for a team, we play for a club, we play for the fans. There is nothing more special than that."

Those words have particular resonance now because, compared with those exceptional statistics, there are some far less impressive ones this season.

Fernandes has played for every minute of Manchester United's six Premier League games. He has three goals and one assist, all of which came against Ipswich, the second game of the campaign and, so far, his side's only win.

The numbers are actually better than last term, when he scored twice in the opening six games and failed to create any.

However, at that point, Fernandes was playing in the deeper midfield role Ruben Amorim preferred.

Look a bit deeper, and issues emerge.

While this season is Fernandes' second highest for actual shots, at an average of 3.3 per game - his best was 3.5 in 2020-21 - it is his joint-second lowest for shots on target, at an average of 0.8. His chance creation (2.5 per game on average) is also the second lowest of his time at Old Trafford and down significantly on the 4.0 he returned last season.

Even more startlingly, he has created just one 'big chance' so far this season, the lofted pass that sent Bryan Mbeumo running clear of the Ipswich defence on 30 August. Fernandes' average last season was one per game.

A combination of Fernandes' numbers and his general involvement perhaps goes some way to explaining why United have collected just six points from their opening six games, their worst start to a league campaign in 40 years, when Ron Atkinson was eventually sacked to make way for Sir Alex Ferguson.

But is Fernandes a reason for, or a symptom of, United's malaise?

There is uncertainty over the Portugal playmaker's fitness. Fernandes rarely misses a game but was left out of the recent Nations League encounter with Norway as national team boss Jorge Jesus said the former Sporting man was "playing through pain".

However, Fernandes was fit enough to return for the final two internationals of the extended break. Prior to that, he completed the full 90 minutes in the 4-0 win against Azerbaijani champions Sabah FK in the Champions League.

United manager Michael Carrick does not view it as an issue.

"He was carrying something but that happens a lot," he said. "Players play with issues.

"It's not ideal but it is manageable. Bruno is able to play. That is the commitment he has got.

"He is pretty much over it, was really bright in training this morning and is looking forward to the game."

Towards the end of last season, when Fernandes' contribution was at its most prolific, Benjamin Sesko was a regular in the number nine role, while veteran Brazilian Casemiro was the anchor in United's midfield.

Of the nine league goals Sesko has scored in 2026, Fernandes created four. Fernandes was responsible for four of the final five goals Casemiro scored as a Manchester United player from 1 February onwards.

Quite aside from goals, it is also clear the presence of Sesko and Casemiro is being missed.

Even Casemiro's biggest admirers could not claim United's current low running stats are because the 34-year-old left for Inter Miami in the summer. However, his positioning and game knowledge remain of a high standard. Fernandes could take risks in the belief United would not be overrun on transition if he lost the ball.

As for Sesko, his fresh shin injury merely extends a lack of involvement which is being keenly felt and for which, as yet, there is no end date.

The club's power brokers ignored a clamour to bring in more striking support in the summer and instead reinforced Carrick's midfield.

But a plan to cover the Slovenian's initial absence by using Mbeumo as a number nine had to be scrapped when Amad Diallo suffered an ankle injury just before the opening game at Hull.

Matheus Cunha was given the job instead, but he repeatedly dropped deep, right into the space Fernandes was occupying, and the pair never really found an effective way of dealing with it.

For Fernandes, it feels restrictive, and while he is not a player who lacks confidence, it does seem his decision-making is being affected.

Against Tottenham at the weekend, it took Fernandes an incredible 23 minutes just to complete a pass.

Carrick said on Monday, as he looked ahead to a meeting with Atletico Madrid, that no-one was "guaranteed" a place in his team - but put enough caveats around it to indicate leaving out his captain is not in his thinking.

However, United must start to improve and, that means Fernandes must do the same.

Carrick is confident he will.

"He's a top player, Bruno," he said.

"Sometimes things don't quite go for you. Sometimes you have a spell of that.

"But he's done some incredible things for this football club and he will do the same in the future, there's no doubt about that."