Man Utd Learn Bruno Fernandes Recovery Timeline—Report

United have reportedly earmarked a crucial fixture as Fernandes’s targeted return date.

A loose timeline for Bruno Fernandes’s return has been outlined. / James Gill-Danehouse/Getty Images

Manchester United captain Bruno Fernandes could be fit in time for January’s derby against Manchester City, a new report has claimed.

Fernandes pulled up towards the end of the first half in United’s 2–1 defeat to Aston Villa last Sunday. The skipper continued to play on—and notably pulled out of a tackle in the buildup to Morgan Rogers’s first goal of the afternoon—before retiring to the bench during the interval. The defiantly blunt Ruben Amorim fretted that Fernandes would be out for “a while” with a soft tissue injury.

That vague timeline sent many in Manchester spiralling. Fernandes has been injured for a grand total of three games across his six years at Old Trafford. While some directors may have supposedly wanted to cash in on the 31-year-old playmaker, he is undoubtedly the heartbeat of this inconsistent United unit.

Some clarity on Fernandes’s recovery has now come to light. The Times are one of several outlets to report that the midfielder’s ailment is not as bad as first feared and the club are thought to be “confident” that he will be fit in time for the meeting with Manchester City on Jan. 17.

Nevertheless, that timeline still predicts Fernandes to sit out five fixtures.

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The Man Utd Games Bruno Fernandes Could Miss

Date	Competition	Opponent
Dec. 26, 2025	Premier League	Newcastle (H)
Dec. 30, 2025	Premier League	Wolves (H)
Jan. 4, 2026	Premier League	Leeds (A)
Jan. 7, 2026	Premier League	Burnley (A)
Jan. 11, 2026	FA Cup	Brighton (H)

The congested nature of the festive football calendar ensures that any injury, even one which lasts one month, will span a glut of games. Had Fernandes been struck down in February, a month in which United could go as many 12 days between competitive fixtures, the damage would have been less severe.

However, United’s list of opponents still offers them some hope in the absence of Fernandes.

First up on Boxing Day is a Newcastle United side who have been unashamedly wretched on the road. Eddie Howe’s home bullies have taken just six points from eight away games—fewer than relegation zone-dwelling West Ham United—and boast a pitiful seven goals. Manchester City’s Erling Haaland has scored eight on his travels this season.

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Amorim’s side are presented with the gimme of a home clash against a Wolverhampton Wanderers outfit breaking all the wrong records before starting the new year with a more daunting trip to Elland Road.

Fellow promoted side Burnley are United’s next hosts ahead of an FA Cup third round tie at home to Brighton & Hove Albion.

The Red Devils have not been forced to play without Fernandes very often since he joined the club in 2020. In fact, he has only sat out 17 of the club’s previous 325 fixtures. On the rare occasions when the Portuguese playmaker has been absent, United’s record stands at a middling won eight, drawn three and lost six. Those directors that wanted Fernandes out of the club will now get an elongated insight into what United’s future may look like next season.

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