"It's strange" - coach Ruben Amorim exclaimed. And in the context of Manchester United having been used to unusual things for many years, this is perhaps one of the biggest paradoxes: Bruno Fernandes is injured - something that has almost never happened.
Nearly 6 years since arriving at Old Trafford, the Man United captain has only missed 2 matches due to injury. That number will now almost certainly increase, even increase sharply.
According to Amorim, Fernandes will be out for a while. This means the "Red Devils" have lost their leader, who is always present in the squad, a free kick expert, a penaltyper, who is often at the top of the list of assists, sometimes the top scorer and has become a lifeline in the most difficult times many times.
But the question is, apart from Fernandes, what else does Man United have in the midfield?
Fernandes was forced off in the first half and will likely have to spend his longest period out since joining the club in 2020. A scenario that seems unayingable at Old Trafford, and that is clearly shown in the way Man United build their squad.
They did not replace Christian Eriksen when he left. They spent £230m in the summer of 2025, but did not bring in a real central midfielder. Man United entered the season with only 4 experienced central midfielders.
Among them, Amorim clearly has no faith in Kobbie Mainoo, who has not started a Premier League game this season. Mainoo's punctual calf injury could even see him miss the opportunity to replace Fernandes against Newcastle on Boxing Day. Then there is Manuel Ugarte, who is considered one of Man United's worst passing midfielders in decades.
Even without Fernandes, the "Red Devils" are heavily dependent on Casemiro - a player who will turn 34 in two months. The Brazilian midfielder could not play the full 90 minutes despite only playing one match a week and was often absent due to suspension.
Man United conceded significantly more goals when Casemiro did not start. Therefore, this is not a safe strategy for a team that wants to compete at the top.
Therefore, if Fernandes has spent many years covering up Man United's failures and patching up Man United's shortcomings, then that bare truth will most likely be exposed in the coming weeks.
To be fair, Amorim spoke cautiously. He insists Man United will not buy panic in January. "What we can't do is go into January, try to do everything hastily, make mistakes and start over with a series of other mistakes," Amorim explained.
He stressed that finding a solution was his responsibility, given the situation where Casemiro would qualify again in the match against Newcastle and Man United with two more matches before the transfer window opens.
However, the image of the end of the loss to Aston Villa with midfielder Lisandro Martinez and 18-year-old Jack Fletcher is unacceptable. It feels like Sir Alex Ferguson has paired Gary Pallister with Paddy Crerand's son in the club's centre. In fact, Ferguson has experimented with strange options, such as using Rafael da Silva or Park Ji-sung in that position. And the end was Steve Kean's defeat to Blackburn at Old Trafford.
History, once again, seems to be knocking on Man United's door.
