Manchester United captain Bruno Fernandes will miss the fixture against Liverpool at Anfield next weekend.
The midfielder picked up his fifth booking of the season in the 3-0 defeat to Bournemouth on Saturday and he has been given an automatic one-match ban.
Supporters on X weren’t holding out much hope of getting a result against the Premier League leaders next weekend but they feel the absence of Fernandes will make the job all the more difficult:
Game over for us
— Anderson (@Andyruffian) December 9, 2023
getting battered either way
— ⭐️ (@mxrtinezf17) December 9, 2023
We should just forfeit the game now
— Mo 🥸 (@Ahnice_Mo) December 9, 2023
what is he doing man? he knows how many yellow cards he’s on & he knows we’re facing liverpool next
— zay (@zayydayys) December 9, 2023
its officially doomsday against liverpool and the match havent even started yet
— Daniel (@tribalchief2709) December 9, 2023
Mary mother of Jesus
— ³¹ 🍁🧩 (@theLawalIbrahim) December 9, 2023
He should know better.. poor from Bruno.
— MUFCPoni 🇨🇦 (@MufcPoni) December 9, 2023
When it rains it pours for ten Hag
The United boss was visibly frustrated following the humiliating home loss to Bournemouth. After a strong performance against Chelsea, it was hoped that his team had turned a corner.
They now will face Bayern Munich needing a win midweek, but that might not even be enough to qualify for the knockout stages of the Champions League.
On top of that, Liverpool will rest their players in the Europa League ahead of next Sunday’s match, having already finished top of their group. Fernandes’s suspension is just another factor that will be against them.
United’s record at Anfield is dire
Fans will want to forget the 7-0 drubbing that took place at the same ground last season, but their issues facing their fierce rivals away from home stretch back a lot longer than that.
The last time United won at Anfield was in 2016, when a Wayne Rooney goal secured a 1-0 win. It seems very unlikely that ten Hag’s men will replicate that result but stranger things have happened. Liverpool were 3-2 down to Fulham in their last home match before they scored 2 late goals, so they are not invincible, but United would have to improve massively on what they showed against Bournemouth.
