Bruno Fernandes Injury Record Shows Just How Rare Man United Star’s Hamstring Issue Is — but How Many Games Will He Miss?

Bruno Fernandes has built a reputation as one of the most durable players in elite European football, which is why the hamstring issue he appeared to suffer against Aston Villa has caused such concern at Manchester United.

United suffered only their second defeat since September on Sunday as they lost 2-1 at Villa Park. The result was a blow in itself, but the bigger worry for Ruben Amorim’s side was what appeared to be a hamstring injury sustained by Fernandes shortly before half-time.

The United captain initially tried to run off the problem and played on despite visible discomfort in the back of his right leg. He even came close to scoring his sixth Premier League goal of the season, only to be denied by an excellent block from Ezri Konsa. Fernandes was eventually withdrawn at the interval, however, amid growing fears this could prove to be the most significant injury of his career.

Speaking after the match, United head coach Ruben Amorim confirmed the injury was muscular in nature and admitted his captain is likely to miss upcoming games.

“I think it’s soft tissue, so it’s going to take a while,” Amorim told Sky Sports. “I think he’s going to lose some games, I don’t know for sure. He is a guy who is always fit so he can recover quite well, but I don’t know.”

Bruno Fernandes injury record

The concern surrounding Fernandes’ condition is heightened by the extraordinary reliability he has shown throughout his career.

Across spells with Sampdoria, Sporting CP, Manchester United and Portugal, Fernandes has never missed more than two consecutive matches due to injury or illness.

His longest absence came in May 2024, when a knee issue ruled him out for 13 days. That setback forced him to miss Premier League defeats against Crystal Palace and Arsenal, but he still returned in time to play the full 90 minutes of the FA Cup final win over Manchester City later that month.

Prior to that knee problem, Fernandes — who recently dropped a hint about his next club — had missed just one United game for fitness reasons. He was unavailable for a 3-2 win over Tottenham in March 2022 due to illness, but started a Champions League match against Atletico Madrid just three days later.

The only other absences on record are a leg injury that ruled him out of two Portugal matches in March 2019 and a bout of flu in January 2017 while playing for Sampdoria.

Full list of Bruno Fernandes injuries and illnesses

Issue	When	Games missed
Flu	January 2017	1
Leg injury	March 2019	2
Illness	March 2022	1
Knee injury	May 2024	2

How long will a hamstring injury keep Bruno Fernandes out?

Hamstring injuries can vary widely in severity, which makes early assessments difficult. In milder cases, players can return within a fortnight, while moderate to severe strains typically rule players out for three to eight weeks, depending on the extent of the damage.

Amorim’s decision to remove Fernandes at half-time, rather than risk further damage, suggests United are taking a cautious approach. The Portuguese midfielder’s history of fast recoveries may work in his favour, but the club are unlikely to rush their most important player back during a congested run of fixtures.

United defender Diogo Dalot admitted the scale of the potential loss after the match.

“It’s massive,” Dalot said. “We don’t know how bad it is but for him to come off, we know how tough he is.”

How many games could Bruno Fernandes miss?

Fernandes is expected to miss the Boxing Day clash with Newcastle, while it is highly likely that he will also miss the home game against Wolves on December 30.

If the injury proves to be a minor hamstring strain, Fernandes could return in early January, potentially even in United’s first game of 2026, away at Leeds on January 4.

However, it is also plausible that he could miss the Leeds game, as well as further fixtures against Burnley, Brighton, Manchester City, Arsenal, Fulham, Tottenham and West Ham if his hamstring injury is more serious.

“It is really strange,” Amorim said after the defeat at Villa Park. “During this year, especially at this time, we have so many problems, but we have to cope with that.”

Regardless of how long he is out for, United’s captain will be missed. Many supporters feel that Fernandes is on course to be a Man United legend, having also recently climbed above Paul Scholes into fourth place on the club’s all-time list of Premier League assist-makers.