Former Manchester United star Dwight Yorke has claimed Erik ten Hag has already informed Bruno Fernandes that he will succeed Harry Maguire as Red Devils captain.
The much-maligned Maguire has donned the armband ever since his arrival in the summer of 2019 from Leicester but has failed to reach the heights many had hoped he would. The defender's form has deteriorated so much that he was recently dropped from the starting eleven and replaced by Raphael Varane who has partnered Lisandro Martinez for most of the season.
Maguire's aim of forcing his way back into Ten Hag's plans suffered a blow when he sustained a hamstring injury while representing England. In turn, he has not been named in the match-day squad for the last seven United fixtures.
In his absence, Fernandes has taken on the role of skipper and though he isn't quite on the scoresheet as much nowadays the Portugal international has been the subject of praise from his manager who is pleased with the "massive role" he has taken on.
Fernandes has clearly also caught the eye of Yorke since becoming the stand-in captain and the treble-winner has claimed Ten Hag is likely to have already discussed the idea of the 28-year-old taking the armband on a full-time basis with the player himself.
He told Lord Ping: "Before he [Fernandes] was the stand-in captain, which wasn't a problem. I think with the Maguire scenario, looking from the outside in at the club without knowing all the details, I think he's been told he's going to be the captain going forward.
"When a manager tells you something like that, then that weight comes off. So now he's thinking, 'Right, this is my new role.' That clarity is good for the team and enables him to go out and do what he needs to do.
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"Obviously, I wouldn't expect this to be an official announcement this season with Maguire at the club, but perhaps the manager has had a word with him and that has given him the confidence he needed as a player."
Maguire's return to the first-team fold is expected sometime this week, which actually comes as a huge bonus to Ten Hag considering Varane hobbled out of action during Saturday's 1-1 draw away at Chelsea.
The Frenchman was in tears as he limped off the pitch, presumably fearing for his fitness with the Qatar World Cup less than a month away from kick-off.
With Varane expected to be unavailable for the next few games, Maguire may see this next run of fixtures as a chance to redeem himself in the eyes of his manager.
