March 12, (THEWILL) – Due to illness, Portuguese star, Bruno Fernandes will be absent from Manchester United’s crucial encounter against Tottenham Hotspur, currently underway as the Red Devils are hosting Spurs at Old Trafford on Saturday.
A win for the hosts could propel them into the top four. They are, however, facing Antonio Conte’s side without one of their most important players, as Fernandes is not featuring.
This season, the 27-year-old has appeared in 36 games in all competitions, scoring nine goals. But, this illness means the Portugal international is also a doubt for Tuesday’s UEFA Champions League match against Atletico Madrid after the opening leg finished in a 1-1 tie in Madrid.
Ralf Rangnick’s side are even more motivated to scale over the Tottenham challenge, knowing that a win will keep their prospects of finishing in the top four alive.
United is currently in fifth place in the league. They are only one point behind Arsenal, but will have played four more games than Mikel Arteta’s side by this evening.
Despite his current slump in form, Fernandes has still provided nine goals and six assists in the league this season, and he remains one of United’s most creative players. He will therefore be sorely missed in a United squad needing creative input.
The game is critical for both Manchester United and Tottenham, as they compete for a place in next season’s Champions League. Spurs have two games in hand on United, and a win would put them ahead of United from their current seventh place.
Arsenal are a point ahead of United in fourth position, but they have three games in hand on their top-four rival.
Jude Obafemi is a versatile senior Correspondent at THEWILL Newspapers, excelling in sourcing, researching, and delivering sports news stories for both print and digital publications.
