Bruno has a message for Reds everywhere

The Portuguese playmaker spoke exclusively to us ahead of the resumption of the Premier League and our visit to Tottenham Hotspur this week.

He says the players are itching to get back into action as the hunt for a top-four finish continues in earnest. The return to fitness of Pogba and Rashford will further boost our quest and Fernandes, who has yet to play alongside either, is looking forward to what’s to come.

“Everyone is doing very well. We are excited to play again because it’s been a long stop, it’s never happened in the history of football,” he said. “It’s happened to us and I think we can learn other things, not with football but in life, in terms of what matters and what is important, like being healthy. But I think now it’s time to start to think only [about] football and what we can do very well [as a team].

“We were in a great time with great results before this and we want to keep going. For sure everyone feels now that we have the capacity to do better and keep up the way we were doing before.

“I think linking up with Paul and Marcus is easy,” he added. “They are two of the best players in the Premier League, they have qualities to help us a lot. They have already shown that and I think now with both of them back we will be stronger than before and this is good for us. Now everyone is fit and we can do better on the training pitch and obviously in the games.

“The message I want to give to the fans is we will keep improving, we will try to do better and better and be the best we can. It’s difficult to forget the fans because football is about them. It will be really difficult to play without our fans but the most important thing for us now after a long stop is to play again and be on the pitch.

“We will try to give our fans some enjoyment from home because now it has to be like this, but soon we’ll all be back [together] in the stadium. For now though we want to win the games for them.”

United’s first test following the restart is a fellow top-four chasing club, in Spurs, who happen to have our old manager, Jose Mourinho, at their helm. Fernandes revealed that he had never actually met his fellow countryman but recognised his qualities as a top coach.

While Ole Gunnar Solskjaer will be boosted by the additions of Pogba and Rashford to the squad, Friday night’s hosts can boast the return of Harry Kane, who has recovered from a hamstring injury.

Fernandes remains confident in the team’s ability to produce the goods when it matters, particularly after our most recent league victory, over Manchester City, before the enforced lockdown. The Portugal international is determined to play a big part in future success for the Reds and he insists this group of players have the pedigree to achieve our goals.

“What I’ve learnt is that this club is here to win everything it can,” he declared. “This is my focus, this is why I chose Manchester United. I want to be here and I want to be a champion and fight for every title.

“For me, personal targets are always to do better than before and the personal target is the same as the team – it’s about getting a place in the Champions League. I think this team deserves to be in the Champions League.

“After the first few games, maybe some players didn’t know me and now they will be more ready to play against me,” he added. “But I will also be more ready and more excited and have more motivation to do better and better. That’s my aim.”