Overview
- The captain left the 2-1 loss at Aston Villa at half-time with a soft‑tissue problem, and Amorim expects him to miss multiple games with no firm return date.
- Fernandes will not face Newcastle on Boxing Day as United enter a congested run that includes four matches in 13 days.
- Kobbie Mainoo also has a calf issue, several team-mates are away at the Africa Cup of Nations, and defenders Matthijs de Ligt and Harry Maguire remain sidelined, though Casemiro returns from suspension.
- Lisandro Martínez filled in midfield after the interval, with academy prospects Jack Fletcher and Shea Lacey making debuts as Amorim looks to internal options.
- Diogo Dalot called Fernandes’s absence “massive,” and the manager reiterated there will be no emergency January signings.