Bruno Fernandes is expected to make his return from injury when Manchester United take on Burnley on Wednesday, in their first match since the dismissal of head coach Ruben Amorim.
Former United midfielder Darren Fletcher will oversee the game as interim coach and has confirmed that the club captain is available for selection after recovering from a muscle injury sustained against Aston Villa on December 21.
Fernandes & Mount back for Burnley clash
Fernandes, who has been directly involved in 12 goals for United this season, was taken off at half-time during the 2-1 loss at Villa due to a soft-tissue issue. He subsequently missed the 1-0 victory over Newcastle and the 1-1 draws against Wolves and Leeds — results that ultimately contributed to Amorim’s exit. Mason Mount is also set to return after being withdrawn at half-time in the home win over Newcastle.
Fletcher welcomes injury boost
Speaking at a press conference, Fletcher said:
“I think Mason and Bruno, I think they were pushing to play against Leeds. The decision was that they weren’t quite ready, so they’ve trained, so they should be back in the squad. But they’ll be on managed minutes as well and restricted minutes because they’ve obviously just returned to training.
“So that’s good news, especially the fact that obviously they’re players who’ve been in good form, Mason Mount’s form has been fantastic. And Bruno Fernandes, you don’t have to speak about Bruno, he’s the captain, he’s the leader of the team. So to have them available for selection is obviously great news for me and for the players and for the club and for the fans.”
Restoring United’s identity
Fletcher takes over a side that has managed just three wins in their last 11 Premier League matches, though they remain sixth in the table and only three points off the top four. Amorim had come under fire for a cautious approach in recent weeks, and Fletcher said he wants United to reflect their traditional attacking style when they face 19th-placed Burnley at Turf Moor.
“Hopefully it looks like a Manchester United team, that represents a bit of me in terms of what I know as Manchester United,” he said. “So I hope it resembles a Manchester United team that fans can be proud of, that I can be proud of. And I’m sure they will because I believe in the players.
“And I hope to give them a platform to go out there, to express themselves and to show that… it’s about them, it’s not about me. It’s their season, it’s their careers, it’s their opportunity. I’m here to help them.”
Focused only on Burnley
Fletcher, who spent 13 years as a United player and has coached the club’s Under-18s since the start of the season, stressed that he is not thinking beyond Wednesday’s match. Reports have linked United with Ole Gunnar Solskjaer and Michael Carrick as potential interim options.
“I’ve had a conversation and the focus was on this game and then we’ll speak after the game,” Fletcher said. “It all happened very quickly… the focus has been on the Burnley match and then we’ll speak after the game. I think it’s important that we give the Burnley match the respect and focus it needs.”
