Bruno Fernandes set to miss 'several games' after suffering injury in Aston Villa defeat

Bruno Fernandes is set to miss several upcoming games for Manchester United after suffering a soft tissue injury in Sunday's 2-1 game Premier League defeat at Aston Villa.

The United captain was sent off at half-time following a challenge from Aston Villa midfielder Amadou Onana.

The injury is a rare setback for the 31-year-old, who has only missed three matches through injury or illness since joining the club in 2020.

United head coach Ruben Amorim has confirmed that Fernandes is expected to be out for several games, although the exact length of his absence remains unclear.

“I think it’s soft tissue,” Amorim said. “I think he's going to lose a few games. I'm not sure, so let's see.

“He's a guy who's still in good shape, so he can recover very well. But I don't know.”

Amorim also expects Kobbie Mainoo to miss the Boxing Day home game against Newcastle.

The midfielder was absent at Villa Park with a calf injury and is believed to have been an equal replacement for Fernandes.

Casemiro will return against Newcastle after serving a one-match suspension, but United could still be without seven players due to injuries and international duty.

“I’ll see what we do,” Amorim said. “I think Kobbie Mainoo is out, Bruno is out.

“So we will see and we will find solutions. No excuses.

“We have to win the next game. We will try to win the next one.”

Amorim said the current situation mirrors a similar injury crisis the club faced at the same stage last season and insisted it would not derail United's long-term planning.

“I remember this time last year we had the same problem,” he said. “So when you go through that experience, maybe it doesn't seem so bad.

“It could be worse, but we have the feeling that no one is going to die.

“We know we will suffer without all these players, but together with our fans we will try to arrange something to win the next match.”

The Portuguese coach also rejected the idea that the injury list would lead to hasty decisions during the January transfer window.

“What we can’t do is get to January and try to do everything in a rush and make mistakes,” Amorim said. “And then it started again with a lot of mistakes.

“So I'm not going to agree with Jason and Omar and say we need a lot of players because we have a plan. If we have to suffer, the club comes first.

“Of course we are at the moment where we need points, but we have to find solutions and we will continue with our plan.”