Do Manchester United have a Bruno problem?

Manchester United midfielder is actually more disciplined this term but unique demands of job keep him in line of fire

Manchester United's Bruno Fernandes (right) confronts referee Tony Harrington (centre) after being shown a yellow card during the Premier League match at Molineux Stadium, Wolverhampton. Picture: Nick Potts/PA Wire. 

Against Leicester on Boxing Day Virgil van Dijk took to 50 the number of successive league games he has played every minute of. This alone does not explain why the Dutchman is such an effective leader, nor why his Liverpool side are currently so successful, but it certainly helps. There are many kinds of captain, many ways of leading, but above all the one unarguably necessary thing is to be present. You cannot lead a team from the stands.

At which point it is tempting to go in two-footed on Manchester United’s Bruno Fernandes, as many newspaper headlines did on Friday morning. The Portuguese is, for a couple more days at least, one of only four other captains to have played in every game of this Premier League season but that run ends with the visit of Newcastle on Monday, for which he will be suspended after Tony Harrington, just after half-time in the Boxing Day defeat to Wolves, became the third referee to show him a red card this campaign.