Manchester United are facing questions over Bruno Fernandes’ injury after Portugal boss Jorge Jesus revealed the captain had been playing through pain in recent matches.
Fernandes missed Portugal’s Nations League meeting with Norway after Jesus decided not to risk him. The update has since raised concerns over how long the midfielder had been dealing with the problem and whether he should have travelled for international duty in the first place.
Former Manchester United chief scout Mick Brown questioned the situation, arguing that the club knew Fernandes had suffered the injury but still allowed him to join Portugal.
“The strange thing for me was that it’s apparently an injury he picked up while he was at Man United, so in that case, why was he allowed to go on international duty in the first place?” Brown told Football Insider.
Jorge Jesus reveals extent of Fernandes pain
Jesus confirmed Fernandes had been struggling for several games before joining Portugal. According to the Portugal boss, the discomfort affected the midfielder’s display in the win over Wales.
“Bruno said he had been suffering from this pain for about three matches, and this was one of the factors that prevented him from being at his usual level against Wales,” Jesus said.
The Portugal manager explained that he had spoken directly with Fernandes and preferred to leave him out against Norway rather than risk making the problem worse.
“I prefer not to risk him in this match and to have him ready and in good physical condition for the Denmark match,” Jesus added.
For United, the main concern now is Fernandes’ recovery and whether the issue settles without forcing him into a longer spell on the sidelines.
United play Tottenham next after the international break.
