Bruno Fernandes' tight schedule and workload have come to a head, with the Manchester United midfielder pushed to his limits as Christian Eriksen recovers as quickly as possible.
Christian Eriksen has provided Manchester United fans with a positive update on the injury as his race to get back in shape as soon as possible.
Two weeks ago, Erik ten Hag confirmed that the Denmark international, who brought stability to United's midfield alongside Casemiro, would return before the end of the season. And now Eriksen has revealed that he has given up his safety boot in favor of a soccer cleat.
That means Eriksen is finally back in training on the pitch, with his much-needed return with Casemiro banned for four games and as United's season draws to a close.
The update also comes as marathoner Bruno Fernandes prepares to extend his epic season in Portugal's first Euro 2024 qualifier against Liechtenstein on Thursday. United player Fernandes has played 51 games for club and country this season, more than any other player in world football.
Fernandes has also played more minutes in all competitions than any other player in Europe's top five leagues - England, Spain, Italy, Germany and France. In terms of minutes played, Fernandes has scored 3,841 minutes this season. United goalkeeper David De Gea is next on the list with 3,780, while Real Madrid star Vinicius Jr is third with 3,600.
In world football, only goalkeepers Dominik Livakovic of Croatia and Dinamo Zagreb have played more than Fernandes, who has remarkable energy and fitness. Fernandes has played 44 games for United, missing just two - the 1-3 loss to Aston Villa and the Carabao Cup quarter-final win over Charlton, both due to his suspension.
Had Fernandes not been banned for those two games, chances are United manager Erik ten Hag had picked him for both games, meaning he would have played every game for the Red Devils. That speaks to Fernandes' long-term value to United as his name is featured most frequently on their squad this season and a player Ten Hag trusts.
Christian Eriksen has come a long way from his boots
Christian Eriksen has come a long way from his boots
Eriksen closed on return
Ten Hag had the option of dropping Fernandes from the starting line-up in the Europa League round of 16 second leg against Real Madrid, when United took a 4-1 lead in the first leg. Fernandes, like teammate Casemiro, was banned for the first leg of the quarter-finals, but his importance to the career was underlined by Ten Hag, who picked him. "He's very strong, he recovers very well, he's a good athlete and full of energy," Ten Hag said when asked why he chose Fernandes for every match. He can play in a lot of roles, he's brilliant tactically, we can overload areas and we can outmaneuver our opponents.
“We created good situations and chances, he was very important on counter-attacks and transitions. He is a good role model for the team. He's been in great form over the past few weeks and it looks like he's improving game by game.
Since making his United debut on 1 February 2020, after moving from Sporting Lisbon for £67m, Fernandes has missed just one game through injury or illness. It was United's 3-2 win over Tottenham in March 2022, with the forward almost ubiquitous under manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, interim duo Michael Carrick and Ralf Rangnick, and Ten Hag.
blogpay
Total Comments: 0