‘It’s impossible to replace Bruno … we need more leaders’
United host Newcastle in Premier League on Boxing Day
Ruben Amorim has described Bruno Fernandes as “impossible to replace” but has told Manchester United’s players the captain’s injury is a chance for them to step up.
Fernandes was forced off at half-time of Sunday’s loss at Aston Villa owing to a soft-tissue injury that will rule him out for a prolonged period. United host Newcastle in Boxing Day’s only Premier League fixture and Amorim was asked how he could compensate for Fernandes’s absence when the 31-year-old’s deputy, Kobbie Mainoo, is also injured.
“It is impossible to replace Bruno but I said that this morning to the team – [that] we need to take the good thing, if there is a good thing on that, which is a lot of people need to step up,” the head coach said. “It is not just the creation. Every set piece he is the guy who is organising the team and that is a good opportunity for everyone to step up and understand we cannot rely on one player for everything.”
