Manchester United captain Harry Maguire has suffered a fresh blow after Erik ten Hag sang the praises of stand-in skipper Bruno Fernandes and claimed the midfielder is an "example" to his teammates.
Maguire, 29, is still United's official captain but has struggled for regular game-time this term after being dropped by Ten Hag earlier in the season. With Maguire out of favour, the armband has, more often than not, been donned by Fernandes, who has enjoyed somewhat of a renaissance under United's new boss. And there is now the suggestion the Portuguese could be made permanent skipper.
Fernandes has been far more influential than he was during the calamitous 2021/22 campaign and earned plenty of praise from Ten Hag ahead of Friday night's meeting with Everton in the FA Cup.