Fernandes injury rules him out for Portugal

Portugal national team midfielder Bruno Fernandes missed Sunday evening’s match against host nation Norway, in the second round of Group 4 of League A of the UEFA Nations League, due to an injury he has been suffering from for some time.

The Manchester United player started in Portugal’s 1-0 victory over Wales in the first round, before leaving the pitch in the 90th minute, but Portugal coach Jorge Jesus revealed that the player is dealing with a problem he described as “complex.”

Jesus said at the pre-match press conference against Norway that Fernandes had played in recent matches for Manchester United despite his injury, noting that the player informed him he had been feeling pain during the last three games.

He added that the injury affected Fernandes’ performance against Wales and that he preferred not to risk playing him against Norway, in order to give him a chance to recover and prepare for the next match against Denmark on Thursday.

Fernandes had missed Portugal’s last training session before traveling to Oslo.

Fernandes has recorded strong attacking numbers for Manchester United, despite the team’s difficult start to the current season, scoring four goals and providing one assist in seven matches across all competitions.

Manchester United currently sit 12th in the English Premier League table, having won only one of their first five matches.

Fernandes’ injury is a concern for the club, particularly given his role as team captain, while the coaching staff hopes the problem will not worsen during the international break and that the player will return to Manchester in a condition that allows him to continue the season without a long absence.