Ruben Amorim must make unthinkable Man Utd decision this week after Fulham draw

After 292 appearances, 98 goals and 86 assists, has Bruno Fernandes reached the apex of his importance at Manchester United?

The prospect of United cashing in on Fernandes amid strong interest from Saudi Arabia this summer was difficult for many to comprehend. Offloading your best player after finishing 15th in the Premier League would have raised eyebrows, no matter the transfer fee on offer.

But Ruben Amorim's transfer business has left his captain operating in a role that is not just detrimental to the player but also to the team.

Fernandes' 19 goals and 19 assists in 57 games throughout a disaster like the 2024/25 season served as a reminder of his attacking quality.

The Portuguese maestro has unquestionably been one of the faces of the Premier League brand since he arrived in 2020.

But as United seemingly enter a new era on and off the pitch under the stewardship of INEOS and Amorim, perhaps it is time to host a changing of the guard.

Fernandes was poor in Sunday's 1-1 draw against Fulham. The first-half penalty that he blazed back to Manchester, ending a run of 11 straight successful spot-kicks, was the cherry on top.

He exhibited frustration with sloppy passing and questionable decision-making as United's midfield pairing struggled to win yet another central battle.

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That should come as no surprise. Fernandes and Casemiro have a combined age of 63 and are having to cover vast amounts of space at the heart of Amorim's 3-4-3 system.

United desperately need an athletic midfielder to sit alongside Fernandes. Their interest in Brighton and Hove Albion's Carlos Baleba proved they know that.

Casemiro is too old, while Manuel Ugarte is not good enough. But what about Kobbie Mainoo? He has played a total of zero minutes across the opening two Premier League fixtures.

"He's fighting for the position now with Bruno. And I changed two midfielders," Amorim explained after the Fulham draw.

"I let Mason Mount [play] there because we want to score a goal, and when I changed, I felt the team needed to return to one holding midfielder near Bruno.

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"So he [Mainoo] just needs to fight for the position with Bruno, as it should be at Manchester United."

If Mainoo truly is battling with Fernandes for a starting berth, it is time to actually hand the 20-year-old the opportunity he deserves.

He will start in Wednesday's Carabao Cup second-round clash at Grimsby Town. Fernandes should be rested.

Should Mainoo impress and look a better fit on that trip to the east coast, Amorim must do the unthinkable and prioritise his selection over the No. 8 when Burnley visit Old Trafford on Saturday.

As reactionary as that might sound, if United truly are at the start of a new era, they should act like it and put their chips on the future before it's too late.