Former Liverpool player Jamie Carragher has accused Michael Carrick of deliberately attempting to embarrass Bruno Fernandes by leaving the midfielder on the bench throughout Manchester United’s 3 to 0 defeat to Bournemouth on Sunday.
Fernandes watched the entire match from the substitutes’ bench as Manchester United suffered a disappointing home defeat.
Carragher argued that Carrick had no intention of introducing the Portuguese international, suggesting that the decision was aimed at making a statement against the midfielder.
Fernandes was dropped from the starting lineup four days after criticising Carrick’s tactical approach following Manchester United’s 4 to 1 Champions League defeat to Como. The manager defended his selection decision, insisting it was based on “pure football” considerations.
Speaking on Sky Sports, Carragher said Carrick’s explanation did not match what he observed during the encounter at Old Trafford.
Carragher said, “I believe he never intended to bring him on. It was a deliberate decision to keep him on the bench in an attempt to essentially embarrass him.”
According to Opta, the 32 year old Fernandes was named among the substitutes for a Premier League match for only the sixth time since joining Manchester United in January 2020.
On the pitch, Rayan Vitor opened the scoring in the 38th minute with a volley following Justin Kluivert’s free kick. Marcus Tavernier doubled Bournemouth’s advantage after Leny Yoro lost possession to Adrien Truffert, before Evanilson sealed the 3 to 0 victory in the 71st minute.
Carrick introduced Matheus Cunha at half time, replacing Youri Tielemans. He later brought on Lisandro Martinez, Joshua Zirkzee and Shea Lacey, using four of his five available substitutions.
Despite warming up during the match, Fernandes was never brought into the game as Manchester United endured another difficult afternoon.
