Manchester United captain Bruno Fernandes could miss the first match of his club career tonight through injury.
The 29-year-old has enjoyed an incredible run that is the envy of every other pro footballer, having never been sidelined for a game for his club for anything other than illness in 12 years.
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Fernandes has had stints at five teams in his career, turning out for Italian sides Novara, Udinese, and Sampdoria before returning to his Portugal homeland with Sporting Lisbon.
He then joined United from Sporting in January 2020, making an immediate impact having won the Premier League Player of the Month award four times in the same year.
A record Fernandes shares with each of his clubs is that he's never missed a single game due to injury in over 500 appearances.
The Portugal star has sat out two solitary matches since turning professional, both due to illness.
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With the flu, he missed one match for Sampdoria in the 2016/17 season and then was absent for the 3-2 victory over Tottenham in 2022.
His injury-free record is even more remarkable considering no player playing among Europe's elite played more than him last year.
Fernandes is the only one in the top-five leagues to have clocked up more than 70 games in 2023, in more than 6,000 minutes of action.
But the midfielder's run is in more danger than ever now as he is set to miss tonight’s Premier League clash with Crystal Palace.
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Ten Hag confirmed his skipper is a major doubt due to an issue he picked up in the 1-1 draw against Burnley.
“Scott didn't train so far this week but I expect him back in training on Saturday,” Ten Hag told reporters on Thursday. “We have to see if he's 100 per cent available or for a part of the game.
“After the [Burnley] game, we had an issue with Bruno. He is a doubt for Monday.
“We all know Bruno, never rule him out for any game, he will do his best to be available.”
Simon Jordan slams Bruno Fernandes for feigning an injury and insists the Manchester United midfielder deserves to me mocked
Fernandes has been a doubt for several games this season due to minor injuries, but in typical fashion, he recovered to feature in all of them.
Should he recover tonight, it would be his 158th Premier League appearance and his sheer amount of football is clearly taking a toll.
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But Simon Jordan argued recently that the two-time Sir Matt Busby Player of the Year winner is exaggerating his issues.
Jordan told talkSPORT: "He has a high pain threshold? I wish I had a high drivel threshold. If he had a serious injury, he wouldn't be playing, would he?
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"He had a knock. It's not just Fernandes. It's lots of players. This argument that rages about players being characterised in a certain way... it's of their own making.
"These accusations of cheating and rolling around and calling for cards and wasting time, they're all the by-products of modern football.
"When you earn that moniker, that's what you get. No matter how talented Fernandes is, Man United fans at this moment are not having him.
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"They don't think he's a leader, they think the histrionics are unacceptable. He's not the only one who does it, but he's the captain of Man United and they get more focus.
"He doesn't get tarnished with a different brush. If you roll around and make a four-act play out of something, then get up and involve yourself in an attack, then you weren't injured enough in the first place."