Bruno Fernandes is expected to return to Man Utd's starting team against Chelsea in the Premier League on Saturday.
Bruno Fernandes pictured at Stamford Bridge in April.(Image: 2026 Manchester United FC)
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When Bruno Fernandes visited Stamford Bridge last season he won the man of the match award after assisting Matheus Cunha's match-winner.
Manchester United took another giant step towards qualification for the Champions League with the victory, and Fernandes was in such high spirits that it's understood he gave permission for the club to post a video of him almost slipping down the steps in the tunnel with his man of the match award.
Fernandes wouldn't have been smiling at Stamford Bridge this weekend if the stalemate between himself and Michael Carrick had continued to fester, but the pair cleared the air on Tuesday.
Carrick and Fernandes sat down at Carrington this week as the squad returned to training. The midfielder was an unused substitute against Bournemouth last weekend after questioning Carrick's tactics, but it's understood the United boss now considers the matter closed.
Club figures have noted Fernandes being back to his "best version" over the last 48 hours after a challenging week on and off the pitch. It's not known whether Fernandes apologised during the clear-the-air meeting, but the obvious way for him to do so is by delivering on the pitch.
Fernandes was shocking against Como last week. He was moody from the first whistle and recklessly broke off to press on his own, before berating his teammates for not following him into those areas.
The 32-year-old let Carrick down during his post-match interview with TNT Sports, and he made another error after the Bournemouth game when he liked a social media post that seemed to be a dig at the club.
The travelling support at Stamford Bridge will quickly get back onside with Fernandes if he drags the team to an unlikely win on Saturday, though.
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Chelsea are the favourites to secure three points against a United side that have not claimed a win in eight games, but if Fernandes can rediscover his best form, he is the kind of talent that can single-handedly upset the odds.
The problem is Fernandes has been below par pretty much all season, having only performed like the Fernandes of last term in the comfortable 5-2 win against Ipswich Town in August when he bagged a hat-trick.
The Manchester Evening News suggested before the season began that he could start the campaign slowly as a long season had caught up with him during the World Cup, where he looked tired.
He also missed two penalties during pre-season. Looking tired and missing penalties weren't exactly telltale signs he would struggle, but the case stacked up when his start to last season was taken into account.
Fernandes scored two goals in the first eight games of 2025/26. The first was a penalty against Burnley, and the second was a tap-in against Chelsea. Those were his only goal involvements until after the October international break.
He improved when domestic football resumed after the October break last year, but he hasn't improved after a slow start in this campaign. Instead, his performances have continued to regress.
Fernandes has been remarkably consistent since he signed from Sporting Lisbon nearly seven years ago. He has not been at the same level this season, and perhaps it hasn't helped that Carrick moved him out of the No.10 role over the last few weeks.
Carrick went back to basics with his formation against Bournemouth. It obviously didn't work out, but it was the right idea nonetheless, and the same train of thought should be applied against Chelsea.
Fernandes owes supporters a big performance at Stamford Bridge.