Ruben Amorim explains surprise Bruno Fernandes substitution in Nottingham Forest defeat - sportsnewsfoot

Manchester United fell to a disappointing 3-2 defeat to Nottingham Forest on Saturday, with captain Bruno Fernandes leaving the pitch while the Red Devils were trailing.

It was a long evening at Old Trafford for some of United’s usual stars as two second-half goals from the visitors silenced Ruben Amorim’s side before they had chance to respond. A poor performance from goalkeeper Andre Onana dominated the headlines on Saturday evening – raising doubts over this new-look United team.

After an immediate opener from Nikola Milenkovic threw Forest ahead, it was Rasmus Hojlund who found the back of the net next. But, Fernandes could not cancel out two strikes from Morgan Gibbs-White and Chris Wood with his effort on the hour mark.

Minutes later he was being swapped out for Mason Mount, a tactical change that stirred questions amongst United fans.

“I understand that Bruno is a danger near the box,” Amorim said when asked to explain his decision. “He’d scored one goal, but he was tired with transition. I could let Bruno Fernandes [stay on], but I felt with Mason Mount, he is also good with set-pieces and can score because he’s very technical, and we needed fresh legs.

“If you saw the game: transitions, so if you lose the ball and suffer another goal, it was over. So I used all the substitutions. With a lot of games, I felt Bruno was a little bit tired. I had Mason Mount and tried to put him and Josh [Zirkzee] nearer Rasmus to try something in the end.”

United remain in 13th place in the Premier League standings but could slip further down the table if they are unable to improve on their recent performances. A Europa League clash with Viktoria Plzen awaits them midweek before they return to league action against bitter rivals Manchester City on Sunday.

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