The question of who holds the privilege of being Manchester United captain has never been more pertinent than it is right now. Harry Maguire is now fourth-choice centre-back at United. It is clear Erik ten Hag favours the combination of Lisandro Martinez and Raphael Varane when possible.
But even when Varane was injured, Victor Lindelof was chosen ahead of United's captain. Ten Hag may have been adamant that Maguire should keep the captaincy but surely if he is not on the pitch, the 29-year-old cannot keep the armband long-term.
Therefore, United have an issue. In his absence, Bruno Fernandes has stepped in for Maguire as captain. However, Roy Keane and Graeme Souness have both pointed to a flaw in his game which suggests that the Portuguese midfielder is not a viable option to be the permanent leader at Old Trafford.
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Speaking on ITV 1 before Portugal faced Ghana, Souness said: "He [ Fernandes ] has got the abilities you need, appears to have the right attitude when it comes to apologising to supporters when he doesn’t do well and being brave enough to get in front of the camera, it’s admirable. But the thing he has to do to go up another level, the thing he has to get out of his game is what he [Keane] is talking about [petulance].
"That’ll be taken out of him on the training ground. Another thing I don’t like is him in possession, he’s pointing to where you should be moving to. Just play the ball son, get on with it. Throwing your hands up and shrugging your shoulders when someone doesn’t pass to you - you don’t get top players doing that."
Keane added: "He’s got one or two bad habits, but again, big stage for him. So much talent, he is a quality player, I do like watching him.
"But he’s got into this habit of putting his arms up in the air and pointing at people and he needs to go up another level. He’s got an opportunity with Portugal but I always want more from him. But in terms of talent, he’s got loads of it."
As both Keane and Souness rightly pointed out, Fernandes is a quality player. But when you look at most successful previous captains of United, you would not have seen them 'throwing their hands up' when things did not go their way.
This behaviour has become an unwanted habit at United in recent years and it is something that supporters have picked up on at Old Trafford. Until he removes this from his game, Fernandes cannot be considered a viable option as United captain.
So, if we are to rule Fernandes out, who is left to replace Maguire when the England international is not in the side? Cristiano Ronaldo was given the armband in Fernandes' absence but he has since departed.
That leaves potentially Varane or Casemiro - opting for the former would be a huge risk. The Frenchman has been susceptible to injuries since arriving at the club and so he has struggled to become a regular in the side. Casemiro, meanwhile, missed out on the chance to captain the side recently due to his limited grasp of the English language at this stage.
David de Gea is a possibility but he could be on his way out of United in the summer when his contract expires. In summary, the Reds are in a difficult position when it comes to selecting a long-term captain should Maguire remain a back-up centre-back, and Ten Hag has a decision to make.
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