Carrick drops Fernandes as United face Bournemouth

What happened

Michael Carrick has left Bruno Fernandes out of Manchester United’s starting side against Bournemouth, days after the midfielder publicly challenged the team’s approach in their defeat by Como. Fernandes is among the substitutes for Sunday’s Premier League match, the first time in almost five years he has missed the starting line-up for reasons unrelated to fitness.

Carrick has made four changes, bringing in Yoro, Amad, Baleba and Heaven. De Ligt, Mazraoui and Cunha also move to the bench as United seek a response to Wednesday’s 4-1 loss. The changes affect several areas of the side rather than concentrating on a single position.

United’s announced 4-2-3-1 formation places Mbeumo at the front of the attack, with Amad, Tielemans and Mount behind him. That arrangement gives Tielemans the central position in the attacking midfield line, between the two wider players and ahead of the deeper midfield pair.

Santos and Baleba occupy those deeper positions. In defence, Dalot, Yoro, Maguire and Heaven line up ahead of goalkeeper Lammens. A 4-2-3-1 separates the midfield into two layers, with the deeper pair providing a connection between the back four and the players supporting the striker.

Lisandro Martinez has also returned to United’s matchday squad. His inclusion gives Carrick another defensive option beyond the starting line-up, with the substitutes available to alter personnel once the match begins.

At Anfield, Liverpool are hosting Brighton in another of the afternoon’s four 2pm kick-offs. The match is going ahead despite disruption associated with Storm Boelo, which has already led to the abandonment of Sunday’s race meeting at Aintree.

The background

The immediate backdrop to Carrick’s selection is United’s heavy defeat by Como on Wednesday. Fernandes spoke afterwards about how the team defended and attempted to recover possession, making the tactical approach a public issue before the return to Premier League action.

The distinction between a fitness absence and a selection decision is significant here. A player can remain available for a match without being chosen to start, and Fernandes’ place among the substitutes leaves him eligible to take part later. Being dropped from the opening line-up does not remove him from the matchday squad.

Bournemouth arrive after beating AC Milan 3-0 on Thursday. They have made four changes of their own, meaning both managers have revised their teams following midweek fixtures, although the results preceding those decisions were very different.

The visitors’ announced formation is 4-4-2, with Kluivert and Evanilson together in attack. Compared with United’s single-striker arrangement, that structure places two players in the forward line and four across midfield, providing a different starting shape for the contest.

Rayan, Cook, Adams and Tavernier form Bournemouth’s midfield. Behind them, Smith, Hill, Silva and Truffert make up the defence, with Petrovic in goal. Those selections complete a side attempting to follow its European victory with an away league performance at United.

The short turnaround is also part of the wider afternoon’s programme. Liverpool and Brighton both played in Europe during the week, so all four clubs in the two featured fixtures have moved from midweek commitments to Sunday league matches.

The teams at Anfield

Liverpool have selected Isak as their central striker, supported by Gakpo, Wirtz and Barcola in a 4-2-3-1. The attacking line places three players behind the centre-forward rather than pairing him with a second striker from the outset.

Gravenberch and Mac Allister form Liverpool’s deeper midfield partnership. Alisson starts in goal, behind a back four of Araujo, Jacquet, van Dijk and Kerkez. Both Liverpool and Brighton have adjusted their personnel after their European matches.

Brighton, who approach the game in good form, have also named a 4-2-3-1. Kostoulas leads their attack, with Gomez, Ayari and De Cuyper occupying the line behind him. The matching formations give the teams the same broad distribution of players across defence, midfield and attack.

Gross and Andres are Brighton’s deeper midfielders. Their defensive line consists of Kadioglu, Vuskovic, Dunk and Boscagli, with Verbruggen in goal. A listed formation describes the starting organisation, rather than fixing where every player must remain when possession changes.

The two games therefore present different tactical starting points: matching systems at Anfield and contrasting forward arrangements in United’s match. Those distinctions concern the announced teams; players can move between positions and managers can change the shape during play.

What people are saying

Fernandes’ criticism focused on the demands created by allowing opponents extended possession. In his assessment, the work required to chase the ball could leave United less able to use it effectively once they regained it, with both physical fatigue and decision-making affected.

He also addressed the choice not to use a man-to-man press. That type of pressing assigns players direct opponents to close down, whereas other approaches prioritise protecting areas or waiting for particular opportunities to challenge for possession. His comments concerned the instructions governing United’s defensive work, rather than simply the final score.

For supporters travelling to Anfield, Liverpool’s message has been practical: take care on the journey. The club has advised caution while the Brighton fixture remains on, with the cancellation at Aintree illustrating the storm’s effect on another sporting event in the area.

What happens next

Crystal Palace’s match against Newcastle and Hull City’s meeting with Brentford complete the group of four fixtures scheduled for 2pm. The afternoon programme brings games affecting different parts of the Premier League table into the same time slot.

Sunderland then face Leeds at 4.30pm. Regis Le Bris’ side go into that later fixture in need of a victory, with their match following the main early-afternoon group rather than taking place alongside it.

For Carrick, in-game selection remains a separate decision from naming the starting side. Substitutes can replace players during the match, allowing a manager to respond to injuries, fatigue or the state of the contest. Fernandes’ involvement can therefore change after kick-off even though he has not been selected to begin.

The league scoring system gives each of Sunday’s fixtures the same immediate stakes: three points for a win, one for a draw and none for a defeat. Wednesday’s and Thursday’s results provide the backdrop, but points from the Premier League matches are determined independently of those midweek performances.

Why this matters

For UK supporters following the league, simultaneous fixtures mean the table can shift as several results develop together. League positions are based first on points, with goal difference and then goals scored used to separate teams level on points, so both results and scoring margins can matter.

For those attending matches, sporting and travel decisions are separate. A fixture going ahead does not establish the condition of every supporter’s route to the ground. Liverpool’s advice places care on the journey alongside the football itself, a practical consideration for fans heading to Anfield during Storm Boelo.