Bruno Fernandes has taken extra care to help one Manchester United find his feet and regain form following a difficult start to the season
Manchester United captain Bruno Fernandes has taken Matheus Cunha under his wing to help him fulfil his potential and become a Old Trafford hero.
Cunha, 26, who signed for United in a £62.5million deal from Wolves in the summer, endured a difficult start to life at the Reds. Indeed, he failed to score or assist in each of his first eight appearances and missed one game after suffering a hamstring injury before the first international break.
However, the Brazil international ended his goal drought and opened his account for United in the 4-2 win against Brighton on Saturday. Cunha scored his side’s first as he curled the ball from the edge of the box and into the bottom corner, giving goalkeeper Bart Verbruggen no chance.
Now, The Sun has revealed that Fernandes has been ‘incremental’ to helping Cunha handle the pressure of being a United player. It’s added that the pair’s Portuguese-speaking bond has evolved into a strong mentorship.
Fernandes and Cunha are said to spent hours partaking in extra training sessions, while working on free-kicks and set pieces – and their close connection is starting to pay off on the pitch.
Sources at The Sun say that Fernandes’ guidance has helped Cunha improve his emotional control and confidence, especially while the Brazilian was frustrated during his period out injured.
Although Cunha didn’t score or assist in the 2-1 win at Liverpool last Sunday, he impressed and showed glimpses that he could be a real star asset for United and head coach Ruben Amorim.
He managed to get on the scoresheet against Brighton and Amorim was full of praise for the ex-Wolves and Atletico Madrid man, who found the net 17 times in 36 matches last season, post-match.
“He was struggling. He can hide that, but I understand he’s struggling,” Amorim told the BBC. “But he shows confidence in every moment of the game. I really love the way he defends. I know I’m a little bit basic on that, but it’s not a surprise the way he responded at Anfield.
“It’s not a surprise the way he played with the ball, but without the ball, he’s improving. That is going to be massive for our team. He needs to score goals; he suffered when he didn’t score, but he is a top player because he decides games, and I’m really pleased with him.”
Cunha and United are back in action when the Reds travel to Nottingham Forest on Saturday. They could move as high as second in the table with a fourth straight Premier League win at the City Ground.
The Reds are in red hot form, having secured three successive victories against Sunderland, Liverpool and Brighton – a run that has seen them climb from the bottom half and up to sixth in the table.
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2025-10-28 18:27:37
