Man Utd news: Bruno Fernandes handed new role as star admits he must convince Michael Carrick

· Mirror

The latest Manchester United round-up includes Bruno Fernandes being handed a new role

Manchester United continue to edge closer to the return of Premier League football. We are now in the third and final week of the first international break of the season, as Michael Carrick is set to welcome back his players who have been on national team duty in the coming days.

Pressure at Old Trafford was high prior to the break, with United narrowly clinching a 1-1 draw with Fulham four days after their shocking Carabao Cup third round exit at the hands of Brighton.

It's been a disappointing start to Carrick's first full season in charge and a positive result against Tottenham on Saturday, October 11, will certainly buy him some breathing room. The Englishman would have been surprised to see his captain, Bruno Fernandes, in a new role for Portugal, while a Red Devils star admitted he needs to win over Carrick to turn his career around in Manchester.

Mirror Football takes a look at the latest stories regarding the Premier League giants...

Fernandes' new role

Not only did Bruno Fernandes captain Portugal in their 2-1 win over Norway on Sunday in the absence of Cristiano Ronaldo, but the 32-year-old was shifted into a new position. National team boss Jorge Jesus opted to deploy the creative midfielder in the left attacking role rather than his traditional central position in a 4-1-3-2 formation, with PSG's Vitinha taking over playmaking duties.

Despite Fernandes' unfamiliarity with the role, the United skipper remained influential in Portugal's four Nations League victories. He completed all four of his long passes and had an 85% passing success rate, while completing six passes in the final third before he was subbed off in the 90th minute for ex-Arsenal star Nuno Tavares.

Zirkzee's admission

Manchester United forward Joshua Zirkzee admits he must play better to convince Michael Carrick to give him more opportunities. The Netherlands star was a late call-up to the national team following Brian Bobbey's injury against Germany and ended up scoring in their 2-1 win over Serbia on Sunday.

The 25-year-old had last played for his country in 2024 and admitted that receiving the call from Netherlands boss Xavi was a surprise, given he's managed just 70 minutes of football for United this season.

> "At the moment, that means I am mainly coming on as a substitute," Zirkzee said to ESPN of his competition at United. "And in the end, I have to do something about that myself, even if it isn't easy. Even so, it was still quite a big surprise that the coach called me up."

Read the original

People in this story

Related