Manchester United Bruno Fernandes, second right, attends a training session in Manchester, England, Tuesday Oct. 20, 2026. (Martin Rickett/PA via AP)

Manchester United lost 3-0 to Bournemouth at Old Trafford with their captain Bruno Fernandes sitting on the bench the whole game. United boss Michael Carrick seems to have punished the Portuguese player for criticising the team’s tactics after the Champions League defeat to Italy’s Como.

“Picking the team is always a difficult decision,” Carrick told Sky Sports before the game. “We’ve got to make what we feel is the right one for the team to try to get the performance we want.”

Carrick then went on to state that his reason for dropping his captain was “pure football.” Fernandes was the player of the season last year.

Whether it was prudent to drop Fernandes to the bench with the club just a few spots from relegation ranks remains to be seen, particularly after the defeat at home.…