Bruno Fernandes was part of the Manchester United team that lost against Nottingham Forest on Tuesday night.
Manchester United suffered a 1-0 defeat to Nottingham Forest as Nuno Espirito Santo became their first manager since Brian Clough in 1992 to record a league double over the Reds.
It was a crucial win for Forest who strengthened their hold on a Champions League spot, while United remain in the bottom half of the table.
Former United winger Anthony Elanga scored the game’s only goal in the fifth minute when his solo run proved too much for Alejandro Garnacho, Patrick Dorgu and Noussair Mazraoui.
The 22-year-old, who came through United’s academy, showed great composure as he sent his effort past Andre Onana after running 85 metres in 9 seconds with the ball.
It wasn’t a night to remember for United but they will be looking to bounce back in the Manchester derby on Sunday before taking on Lyon in the first leg of their Europa League quarter-final tie.
Photo by Robbie Jay Barratt - AMA/Getty Images
Photo by Robbie Jay Barratt – AMA/Getty Images
Bruno Fernandes matches Luke Shaw’s appearance tally for Man Utd
Since signing for Manchester United in 2020, Fernandes has been one of the first names on the team sheet under multiple managers.
The Portugal international is United’s most reliable player in terms of his ability and his availability.
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United’s defeat to Forest marked Fernandes’ 278th appearance for the club in just over five years.
Amazingly, Fernandes has equalled Luke Shaw’s tally, despite the England left-back joining United over five years prior to the Portuguese Magnificio.
🗓️ Luke Shaw joined Manchester United on 27th June 2014.
🗓️ Bruno Fernandes joined Manchester United on 30th January 2020.
Fernandes will make his 278th appearance for United against Nottingham Forest — the same amount Shaw has made for the club.
The Portugal international is… pic.twitter.com/mSCpEeQsSA
— The Athletic | Football (@TheAthleticFC) April 1, 2025
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Shaw has been incredibly unfortunate with injuries since his horrific leg break at the start of the 2015/16 campaign.
Those injuries seem to have caused multiple issues since and he has not started a game for United since February of last year, despite featuring in the 2024 European Championships for England.
While it is a testament to Fernandes’ fitness levels – both for club and country – it shows how unlucky Shaw has been with injuries throughout his time at Old Trafford.
Shaw returned to first-team training last week.
Luke Shaw faces uncertain future at Manchester United
It remains to be seen if United will tolerate another injury-prone season for Shaw.
Ruben Amorim will be trying to bolster his United first-team squad this summer, with Shaw’s future looking doubtful due to the head coach’s preference to play with wing-backs over traditional full-backs.
Shaw is under contract until June 2027 and he has made just three appearances as a substitute this season.
United must be careful not to rush Shaw back from injury as an additional injury could make it more difficult to sell the 29-year-old.
Ineos are not going to persist with players who are rarely available.