Manchester United captain Bruno Fernandes was dropped from the starting XI against Bournemouth at Old Trafford. Michael Carrick said, "Picking the team is always a difficult decision." The manager left his star player on the bench after Fernandes criticised team tactics following a recent Champions League defeat to Italian side Como.

Manchester United will face Bournemouth at Old Trafford without their captain Bruno Fernandes in the starting XI. United boss Michael Carrick seems to have punished the Portuguese player for criticising the team's tactics after the Champions League defeat to Italy's Como.

"Picking the team is always a difficult decision," Carrick told Sky Sports before the game. "We've got to make what we feel is the right one for the team to try to get the performance we want."

Carrick then went on to state that his reason for dropping his captain was "pure football." Fernandes was United's player of the season last year.

Whether it was prudent to drop Fernandes to the bench with the club just a few spots from relegation ranks remains to be seen. Manchester United are 15th in the Premier League standings before the Bournemouth game with just one victory in seven games.

This is only the sixth time Fernandes has been named on the bench for a Premier League game since joining United in January 2020, statistics company Opta said.

United hasn't won any of its last seven games in all competitions and has won just one of its seven matches in the Premier League this season, leaving Carrick fighting for his job and calling on his players to show "humility and hard work" in their performances.

The move is particularly bold, considering Carrick is under immense pressure. A report by Sky Sports said that the game could have a decisive say on Carrick's future as United boss.

After United had lost 1-4 to Como, Fernandes was asked in the post-match if the tactics were to blame for the defeat. He replied: "That's on the manager and on the staff to see it, it's not on me.

"I just said, I think sometimes we have to be more brave on the pressure, trying to take a risk of getting that press very high and making them uncomfortable -- as they did to us."

Carrick had responded at that time by saying "whatever tactics you play, if you don't run, and you don't run forward, and you don't run back, you aren't going to win."