Manchester United captain Bruno Fernandes praised Facundo Pellistri after the Uruguayan was handed his second start for the club against Bayern Munich on Wednesday night.
Despite the Red Devils losing in Germany, Fernandes said he was delighted with how the winger performed:
“Pellistri is one of the players that deserves his chance and deserves a lot of credit for everything he has done for the team. He is someone who is always available, always training hard and someone who deserves his chance. He did well today, he did the job the manager asked him to do and we are all happy for him because he really deserves to get his chances.”
Fans on X were very much in agreement with Fernandes, as they backed Pellistri to keep his place in the starting lineup:
Pellistri RW 🔥 he deserves the chance
— venkitraman (@wayneraman) September 20, 2023
He will make RW his very soon
— Ndwangs (@ndwangsutd) September 20, 2023
He will get better
— Uzonna Ibeto (@uzonnaibeto) September 20, 2023
Ten Hag trusted him enough to play him against a though opposition. That means his time is now! I trust Pellistri won’t misuse this golden opportunity.
— Official_Et⭕h Jnr💖🔰 (@etoh_prosper) September 20, 2023
I always rate that boy. He’s good 👏👏
— Emm@ Nu3L💯 (@FamsZiggy) September 21, 2023
Played well. 1 of the few than ran around and tried to close people down or tried to make things happen.
— Suge waka Ntunja 🇸🇿 (@MuziDee) September 21, 2023
He needs a regular run in the team to develop his game. The signs are there to be a quality player.
— MSKM (@mskm_1) September 21, 2023
The absence of two United players has created an opening
While many supporters have been impressed when the Uruguayan international has been given cameos off the bench by manager Erik ten Hag over the last year or so, nobody was anticipating him playing a prominent role this season.
However, with both Antony and Jadon Sancho sidelined due to off-field matters, it does present an opportunity for Pellistri to make an impact.
Pellistri faded after a bright start against Bayern
The 21-year-old made a good impression in the opening stages of the game in Munich, giving Alphonso Davies something to think about. However, he did fade as the match went on.
If Pellistri is to keep his place in the team for the long term, though, he knows he’ll have to perform at a higher level.
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