Manchester United manager confirms Bruno Fernandes will retain captaincy

Manchester United manager Michael Carrick announced that midfielder Bruno Fernandes will keep the club’s captaincy and be back in the starting eleven for Saturday’s league match against Chelsea. The decision follows Fernandes being omitted from the squad for the 3-0 loss to Bournemouth, where Carrick handed the armband to Harry Maguire.

"There is no decision to be made on [the captaincy], it will be Bruno. He's an important player for this group. He has been and he will be."

Carrick emphasized that the captaincy will not change despite the recent eight-game winless run, which marks the team’s poorest start to a league season since 1986. He also addressed injury updates, noting that striker Benjamin Sesko is expected to miss an extended period due to a shin problem, while young midfielder Kobbie Mainoo may rejoin the squad after recent training.

"Ben looks like he's going to be out for a period of time. We're still not clear of exactly how long, but it's going to be for a longer period of time."

The manager confirmed that the club remains focused on improving performance and that Fernandes’ leadership will continue to be a key factor moving forward.