Man Utd have had no European football this season and will play just 40 games in total and Bruno Fernandes has explained why getting back in the Champions League is so important.
Bruno Fernandes is driving United back into the Champions League
Bruno Fernandes is determined to lead Manchester United back into the Champions League next season, not only because it is the stage on which the club belongs, but also so his teammates can play a bigger part in the campaign next year.
United’s lack of games this season has made it harder to rotate the squad and has left some fringe players struggling for minutes, and although Fernandes is guaranteed his place in the team, the captain is attuned to the difficulties of those who aren’t playing as often as they would like.
After failing to qualify for Europe last season, United were knocked out of both domestic cup competitions at the first hurdle, meaning they will play just 40 games across all competitions in 2025/26. With space between games, there hasn’t been a need to rotate the squad.
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That has become clearer since Michael Carrick took over and discovered a winning formula. Benjamin Sesko made his first start under Carrick against Crystal Palace on Sunday, but players like Noussair Mazraoui, Manuel Ugarte and Joshua Zirkzee have been restricted to bit-part roles.
Fernandes was the second-half hero against Palace and with United now third, they are on track to return to the Champions League and the 31-year-old knows that will be vital in keeping the squad happy.
“It has to be huge because, you know, like we struggle a lot this season by playing just one game a week,” he told MUTV. “At least, I did!
“And I’m pretty sure also players that have played less because we have less games. It’s more difficult to rotate. I think everyone needs the chance to play but, when you have a game [only] every week, it’s more difficult for a manager to make a lot of changes and give a lot of opportunities.
“When you play in Europe, with the amount of games you have to play, it gets important also for the squad to understand everyone is very important, on any moment of the season. It still is but, with more games, you have more chances to play.
“And, mainly, to be in the best competition in the world, that is the Champions League, and try to go for a competition that the club has a huge history in.”
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2026-03-02 09:29:52
