'Maybe he wants my job' - Ruben Amorim delivers glowing review of 'leader' Bruno Fernandes' attitude despite Man Utd captain sitting out with injury

Fernandes has never missed more than three Premier League games in a season ever since he joined United in January 2020 but he is due to miss at least four games due to the soft tissue injury. United won their first game of the stretch without Fernandes as they overcame Newcastle 1-0 on Boxing Day. 

Amorim ruled Fernandes out of United's next two matches against Wolves and Leeds United, with him being likely to also sit out the trip to Burnley on January 8. The coach is hopeful that Fernandes will return to action in time for the derby with Manchester City on January 17. And he explained how involved he still is in the team's activities despite being unavailable to play or train.

Amorim told a press conference: "He cannot be that the guy that when he is not playing, he's not talking and speaking, he's always speaking. That's why he's the captain. He has bad things sometimes, the way move his arms, but he has a lot of good things. And he's always leaving the game, the practice every time, every time he makes recovery from the game, he is the guy that is going to watch the other guys training in that day. So there is a lot of things that you guys don't see, but that he does all the time. He's the guy that is watching the trainings even after treatment is going there. I don't know if he wants my job, but he's a leader. The guy's a leader."

United played with a recognisable back four against Newcastle for the first time during Amorim's tenure and after the coach had previously said that "not even the Pope could convince me to change". He said the players were adapting to his way of playing even within different formations and he said it was vital that the players understood that he was not changing his formation because of pressure from the media.

He explained: "When I came here in the last season I understood that maybe I don't have the players to play well in that system but it was the beginning of the process. We are trying to build an identity and today is a different moment. They understand why we are changing. It is not because of the pressure of you guys, of the fans. It is because now we understand the way we want to play, and the principles are the same. 

"We can change the system, and I think we are going to become a better team, because when the players, all the players return, we are not going to play all the time with three defenders. But when you talk about changing the system all the time, I cannot change because the players will understand that I'm changing because of you [the media], and I think that is the end for the manager. So when we are playing well in our system, I think that is the moment to change."

United now have a golden opportunity to record back-to-back Premier League wins for only the second time under Amorim as their next game is at home to Wolves, who have just two points all season and have the worst record of any team in the history of the English top-flight at this stage of the season. They also have the worst record of any side in the top 14 leagues in Europe.

The Red Devils thrashed Wolves 4-1 earlier in December although they became the first team to concede a league goal against them in six matches. Amorim emphasised that anything can happen in the Premier League and that Wolves almost held leaders Arsenal to a draw. However, he said there would be no excuse for not building some momentum on the Newcastle victory and beating Rob Edwards' winless side.

He said: "Of course we need to. And they showed that against Arsenal, they could have got at least one point. So in the Premier League, you never know. They have their problems, we have our problems. But like in this game, there are no excuses. We need to win. We'll try to win the game."