According to a report by Evening Standard on Sunday, October 25, 2026, Manchester United manager Michael Carrick has insisted that Bruno Fernandes was dropped for purely footballing reasons despite the captain publicly questioning the team’s tactics after the defeat to Como.

Fernandes was named among the substitutes for Sunday’s Premier League meeting with Bournemouth, days after United suffered a 4-1 defeat to Como.

The result extended United’s winless run to seven consecutive matches, with Carrick apologising to supporters after another disappointing performance.

Fernandes questioned United’s approach following the Como defeat, explaining that the decision had been made by the coaching staff not to use a man-to-man pressing system.

The Portugal international argued that United needed to be braver when pressing opponents, take greater risks and push the press higher to make the opposition uncomfortable.

Fernandes also pointed out that Como’s centre-back had followed him into his own half and suggested that United should have adopted a similar approach as a team.

His comments came as Carrick emphasised the importance of unity and putting Manchester United’s interests ahead of individual players.

The manager was subsequently asked whether Fernandes could lose the captaincy but declined to provide details about his discussions with the midfielder.

Carrick said he would always make decisions based on what was best for the football club and indicated that he did not believe it was the right time to discuss whether he had spoken to Fernandes about the situation.

However, Carrick was more direct when asked before the Bournemouth game whether Fernandes had been dropped because of his criticism or for footballing reasons. The United manager told Sky Sports that the decision was purely based on football.

He explained that having several options made selection decisions difficult but stressed that the priority was choosing the team capable of producing the desired performance.

The Bournemouth fixture is the first Premier League match this season in which Fernandes has started on the bench. He had scored four goals in 11 appearances across all competitions before the game.

Carrick also provided an update on his other selection decisions, confirming that Lisandro Martinez was not quite fit enough to start after his availability had been considered touch and go.

The United manager added that the club had decided not to take a risk with Martinez, while also praising Ayden Heaven after the defender had been ill at the start of the week.

Carrick said he was satisfied with his options and stressed that United would need to produce a strong performance against Bournemouth as they looked to end their difficult run.