It was somewhat of a surprise to see Bruno Fernandes included in Manchester United's starting line-up to face Reading in the FA Cup fourth round on Saturday night. However, with the Portuguese ace having missed just two matches this season, Erik ten Hag clearly wants him on the pitch whenever possible.
While it was far from a sparking performance from the 28-year-old against Paul Ince's side, the midfielder still managed to grab an assist for Fred's goal. It was an inviting cross that was dispatched by the Brazilian, with Fernandes having now registered six goals and six assists this term.
His decision-making in the final third was questionable at times against the Royals, but in typical fashion, he was still able to influence the scoreline in United's favour.
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Fernandes has played more minutes than any other outfield player under Ten Hag so far this season, having played 335 more minutes than fellow midfielder Christian Eriksen - who has actually played one more match than United's number eight. It is not surprising that the Portugal international has featured so heavily, but with eight games to come in February, it is going to be a true test of his fitness.
In 2021, a similar question was raised. Should Fernandes be rested? The 28-year-old, unsurprisingly, thought not. He insisted that he did not need a break, but after dropping to the bench for an FA Cup tie against Liverpool, he accepted then manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer's decision to omit him from the starting line-up.
He was rested for that game, with Donny van de Beek starting in his place. However, as people began to suggest that the midfielder was tired, he responded with authority.
"Tired? With 26 years old I can't be tired!" said Fernandes, now 28, in 2021. "If I'm tired now, when I arrive at 30, 32, I will not play. I will play one game in five so, no, I'm not tired.
"Of course the coach knows what is better for the team and (for FA Cup tie) he chose to play with Donny (Van De Beek) to give some freshness to the team.
"I think it's fair enough because Donny is training really well, he's been important for us and will be more and more important in the future."
The Portuguese midfielder has always been a player that features regularly. Prior to his move to Old Trafford, Fernandes had already made over 130 appearances for Sporting and nearly 100 for Udinese Calcio. As a first-team professional, he has made over 400 appearances in his career so far.
It is highly unlikely that Fernandes will be rested for any of United's Premier League matches, and, barring an injury, he is almost certain to start in the Europa League play-off clash with Barcelona. There is a chance that he could be rested for the Carabao Cup semi-final second-leg match against Nottingham Forest, especially considering the Reds have a three-goal advantage.
Depending on who Ten Hag's side draw in the FA Cup fifth round, there could also be an opportunity for him to rest during that match. However, given that he played in the fourth round against Reading, that is probably unlikely.
Therefore, there is somewhat of concern about when exactly Fernandes - and several of his teammates - will be able to fully recover between matches. It would not come as a shock if he played in all eight matches in February, but it remains to be seen if Ten Hag will want to take that risk.
If United are to triumph this season, the midfielder will be absolutely vital. It is important that he is out on the pitch as often as possible between now and the end of the campaign, but there might have to be a compromise at some point in the coming months.
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