Ruben Amorim might have to shelve Manchester United positional change until next season

Bruno Fernandes has played every minute for Manchester United so far in 2025, but what is interesting isn't the amount of time the club captain is spending on the pitch but where he is spending it.

Fernandes has always been undroppable at United, not simply because he has the armband on, but because of his influence on the team as the most potent attacking weapon.

But that is something Ruben Amorim has begun to sacrifice. Fernandes has started and completed nine games in a row this year but in all bar one of them he has at least had a spell in a deeper midfield role. In the last three games, against FCSB, Crystal Palace and Leicester City, he has been a permanent fixture there as he develops a partnership with Manuel Ugarte.

That move partly came about after Kobbie Mainoo was moved further forward in Bucharest. Not only did the academy graduate impress as a No. 10, but Amorim has made it clear he has no intention to return the 20-year-old to a deeper role, admitting he was struggling with the defensive side of the game in midfield.

That has created a vacancy next to Ugarte, and Fernandes is the man to fill it. Casemiro and Christian Eriksen are both only bit-part players now under the Portuguese head coach and it seems that both lack the physical attributes to play that role, and with Mainoo's defensive work under the spotlight, it only really leaves Fernandes and rookie midfielder Toby Collyer.

The partnership between Ugarte and Fernandes has shown early promise. The Uruguayan brings plenty of steel to the midfield and is excellent at winning the ball back and putting opponents under pressure. Fernandes brings a bit more composure and quality in possession, and with United's build-up play under Amorim still being a work