Man Utd vs. Bournemouth: Michael Carrick explains Bruno Fernandes decision for Premier League clash

Manchester United manager Michael Carrick has explained why he dropped Bruno Fernandes from the starting lineup for Sunday's Premier League clash with Bournemouth.

Red Devils captain Fernandes hit the headlines for the wrong reasons in midweek, having criticised the tactics of Man United's coaching staff following their 4-1 Champions League loss to Como.

Fernandes claimed it was a decision from the coaching team not to press man to man against the Serie A upstarts, while also claiming that his side had to be 'braver' under pressure, sparking widespread criticism from pundits.

Carrick refused to speculate on whether he would strip Fernandes of the captaincy, but the Man Utd boss has taken the bold decision to exclude the Portugal international from the first XI against Bournemouth.

Asked about Fernandes's demotion by Sky Sports ahead of kickoff, Carrick said: "You've got options to choose from, it's always a difficult decision.

"We've got to make what we feel is the right one for the team to try to get that performance that we want. Pure football [reasons]."

Man Utd vs. Bournemouth: Why Bruno Fernandes has been dropped to bench

"You've got options to choose from, it's always a difficult decision" Michael Carrick says Bruno Fernandes has been dropped from the Man Utd side for pure footballing reasons ? https://t.co/NHMro1ua5o
— Sky Sports Premier League (@SkySportsPL) October 25, 2026

Expanding on his team selection to Man United's social media channels, Carrick added: "Yeah a few changes, it's always a tough decision when you've got choices.

"It's a tough game, they're a very good team and we've got to be at our best to get the result we want. We put a team out there that we feel is capable of doing that."

Fernandes played the full 90 of each of Man United's first seven games of the Premier League season, but he has failed to score or assist in his last five top-flight appearances and was taken off in the 67th minute of Wednesday's defeat to Como.

The 32-year-old has now been named on the bench for just the sixth time in the Premier League since joining Man United in January 2020, and for the first time with Carrick in charge of the Red Devils.

That is in spite of Fernandes registering more assists (14) and more key passes (96) than any other player in Europe's big five leagues since Carrick took charge in January, although he has set up just one goal in 11 games this term, while netting four of his own.

Fernandes is one of four Man United starters against Como to drop out on Sunday, as Matthijs de Ligt, Matheus Cunha and Noussair Mazraoui have been replaced by Ayden Heaven, Amad Diallo and Leny Yoro respectively, while Carlos Baleba steps in for the skipper.

Michael Carrick makes correct Bruno Fernandes decision - now it has to work

From breaking the Premier League single-season assist record to publicly taking aim at the manager's tactics, Fernandes has experienced quite the fall from grace in a short space of time.

The 32-year-old's teammates have hardly been pulling up trees this season, but he has also failed to score or assist in six of his seven Premier League games this season, making Carrick's 'pure football' reasoning more believable.

However, it is naive to think that Fernandes's outburst did not play at least a small part in Carrick's decision, but if Man Utd severely lack creativity and slip up again without the captain on the field, the pressure will pile straight back onto the manager.