Bruno Fernandes emerges as injury doubt for Man Utd as Liverpool clash looms

Bruno Fernandes could be missing through injury when Manchester United face Liverpool at Old Trafford, Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has revealed.

The United playmaker suffered a knock in the dramatic 3-2 win against Atalanta on Wednesday, and along with Fred he is among a small group whose fitness is under observation.

Solskjaer said ahead of Sunday’s Premier League headline fixture: “Games like Wednesday’s are always going to bring knocks and bruises.

“Bruno might be one of them that might be a doubt, but he’s doing everything he can to be ready. It’s still just Friday, the game’s on Sunday, so it will give everyone time.

“We might be two or three players down. Today [in training] we weren’t everyone, so let’s see Sunday.”

To lose Fernandes would be a big blow to United’s hopes of inflicting a telling early-season blow on their north-west rivals, with both teams having Premier League title aspirations.

The Portugal international has scored two goals in three games against Liverpool since arriving from Sporting CP in January 2020.

Solskjaer will send his players into battle against a Liverpool side who enter the weekend in second place, one point behind Chelsea. United sit sixth, four points further back, and to concede more ground even at this early stage of the season would be a troubling outcome for the Red Devils manager.

Should in-form Liverpool win, a seven-point gap would be a lot for United to claw back.

Solskjaer said: “It’s a massive rivalry. Every time being a Manchester United player and getting the responsibility and honour to step out at Old Trafford against Liverpool, you give everything you have, and we know these games don’t need any bigging up, it’s a massive game.

“Of course, to be seven points behind, it’s going to be a big distance. [If United win and the gap is] one point between, it’s close.”