28 April 2023 , 00:15
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Despite concerns over Bruno Fernandes' fitness after he was pictured wearing a protective boot following Manchester United's FA Cup semi-final win over Brighton, the midfielder was able to play the full 90 minutes in the 2-2 draw against Tottenham on Thursday.
United boss Erik ten Hag had admitted ahead of the game there was a question mark over Fernandes' availability, but he ultimately named him in the starting XI. And some Manchester United fans were quick to pick up on a comment made by Ten Hag when he was asked about Fernandes' selection.
"Of course he's ready," Ten Hag told MUTV. "It is Bruno Fernandes and he's tough. He takes responsibility, he wants to play and of course we're happy he's there because he's a massive player for us who has a big impact in every game. He's our captain, so we are really happy."
While Ten Hag may simply have been referring to Fernandes as "our captain" because he was given the armband against Spurs with regular skipper Harry Maguire out injured, some fans felt there was more to it.
One wrote: "'He's our Captain'... This says it all. Forget Harry wearing the armband, the real skipper is Fernandes." A second added: "'He is our captain' our man has spoken ladies and gentlemen."
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A third commented: "'He's our captain' ETH saying a lot HM if he stays next season must have the Captains armbands taken away from him." While a fourth noted: "Ten Hag is careful with his words so this means something."
Some United fans read into Ten Hag's pre-match reference to Bruno Fernandes as "our captain" (Chloe Knott - Danehouse/Getty Images)Fernandes did make an impact on the game, assisting Marcus Rashford as he put United 2-0 up on the stroke of half-time. However, the Portuguese international could have netted the winner when he rattled the bar shortly after Pedro Porro had got one back for Spurs.
Unfortunately for United, Tottenham went on to complete an impressive fightback as Son Heung-min scored a 79th-minute equaliser with the game ultimately ending 2-2. And when asked about Fernandes' effort hitting the bar after the game, Ten Hag told BBC Match of the Day: "Of course [it was frustrating], but don't blame it on one player.
"We weren't clinical enough and I think we had to score more. The goals we conceded were too easy and we could have avoided them."