It is up to head coach Ruben Amorim to manage the minutes of his Manchester United players.
With Manchester United going on a deep run to the Europa League final last season, managing minutes was key for Ruben Amorim.
Towards the end of the season, Amorim was willing to ‘risk’ academy players in the Premier League in order to keep his star players fit.
Unfortunately, United lost the Europa League final and will therefore have no European football next season, so full focus will be on the Premier League and domestic cups.
However, one United player has been pushed to his limits and has earned a well-deserved rest.
Bruno Fernandes claps fans in the Europa League
Photo by Eric Verhoeven/Soccrates/Getty Images
Bruno Fernandes has highest workload of any player
Last season, Amorim decided to rest Bruno Fernandes which is a decision that was rarely made by his predecessors.
Fernandes boasts an incredible injury record having barely missed a single minute for United since arriving in a £47m deal in January 2020.
A new study from FifPro assesses the workload of footballers around the globe and Bruno Fernandes sits at the very top of their rankings.
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Since joining United, Fernandes has played over 32,000 minutes of football – over 1,000 more than anyone else in that time period.
He has been included in a staggering 370 matchday squads and averages 89.6 minutes per appearance.
A high workload is usually a risk for injuries, and while United have been extremely fortunate to have Fernandes available as often as he is, Amorim will want to keep it that way in 2025/26.
Bruno Fernandes deserves rest after busy summer schedule
Despite the disappointment of the 2024/25 campaign, Fernandes decided to stay at United and reject a £100 million move to Saudi Arabia.
The 30-year-old has been an excellent servant and captain to the club, as proven by his remarkable availability each and every season.
But after playing in the Europa League final and then joining United on their post-season tour of Asia, Fernandes won the Nations League with Portugal which extended his season well into the summer.
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United start their pre-season in July with a friendly against Leeds United before jetting off to the United States. Fernandes will be expected to play a big role in pre-season, so he has earned a well-deserved rest this summer.
It wouldn’t be a surprise to see Amorim give Fernandes a slightly longer summer break to help him re-energise for the important season ahead.