Bruno Fernandes is an injury doubt for Manchester United’s trip to Tottenham on Thursday night after picking up an ankle knock in Sunday’s FA Cup semi-final victory over Brighton. Erik ten Hag considered taking off his midfielder at the time of the injury and again at half-time but Fernandes was determined to stay on the pitch, ESPN report. Fernandes was seen limping as he left Wembley on Sunday night and will undergo further assessments today before a decision is made on whether he can return to training ahead of the trip to Tottenham.
Fernandes has been almost ever-present in ten Hag’s starting XI this season, starting and completing every Premier League match he has been available for, missing a defeat to Aston Villa last November through suspension. The 28-year-old has failed to start in just four games this season with United losing three of them, including last Thursday’s 3-0 defeat at Sevilla where he was suspended. Fernandes, ten Hag’s regular captain this season with Harry Maguire slipping out of the starting XI, has scored 10 goals this season, providing 13 assists.
United have welcomed Marcus Rashford and Luke Shaw back from injury for the season run-in but remain without first-choice centre-half pairing Lisandro Martinez and Raphael Varane. While Martinez will miss the rest of the season with a fractured metatarsal, Varane could return in time to feature in United’s final games of the season with the FA Cup final against Manchester City taking place on 3 June. Ten Hag told talkSPORT: ‘I think so. Yeah. Varane, for the cup final, he can return.’
United can tighten their grip on a top four finish with a win at Tottenham, who were thrashed 6-1 by Newcastle United on Sunday, sacking interim boss Cristian Stellini on Monday night. United and Newcastle both sit on 59 points with Tottenham now six adrift of the two, having played two games more than ten Hag’s side.