Manchester United are playing a dangerous game with Bruno Fernandes

When Scott McTominay headed in that dramatic late winner it would be understandable if Bruno Fernandes hadn't pelted 50 yards to join in the celebrations.

The Manchester United captain was the deepest outfield player having taken the free kick which ultimately led to the Scot's second against Brentford. But he raced diagonally across the Old Trafford turf to mob the goalscorer and celebrate with his team-mates.

Fitness and Fernandes go hand in hand. The midfielder is rarely, if ever, injured and when available he plays. He is the only United outfielder, one of 24 in the division, to have played every minute in the Premier League this season, while last term only seven outfielders spent more time on the pitch than the Reds skipper.

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His importance to United and to manager Erik ten Hag is clear. He is the captain and the midfielder conductor. While he has faced criticism at times for his body language and gestures, he sets high standards and demands from his team-mates. He is the manager's on-pitch lieutenant and is versatile enough to plug gaps, dropping into a wide position as and when required, a role he fulfilled several times last season including in the FA Cup final.

But he can't carry on indefinitely. Last week it was revealed that he's made more appearances than any other player in the world in the past year, according to FIFPRO, the players' union. The final tally was a mammoth 6,666 minutes between September 15, 2022 and September 15, 2023 for club and country.

It's a huge workload at top level intensity. The midfielder played 70 games for club and country last