Bruno Fernandes praises two unexpected Manchester United stars vs Fulham, they could start vs Real Sociedad

Bruno Fernandes has praised two unexpected Manchester United stars against Fulham who Rúben Amorim may hand starts to against Real Sociedad next week.

Manchester United were knocked out of the FA Cup after a penalty-shootout defeat to Fulham following a 1-1 draw at Old Trafford in the fifth round. United started well but lacked sharpness in the final third, while Fulham looked dangerous on the counter.

Just before half-time, Calvin Bassey capitalized on poor defending from a corner to fire the visitors ahead. Rúben Amorim made changes at the break, introducing Alejandro Garnacho and Victor Lindelöf, with Christian Eriksen dropping deeper into midfield. However, Fulham remained in control and limited United’s attacking threat.

With 30 minutes to play, Amorim brought on Chido Obi and Casemiro, replacing Eriksen and Rasmus Højlund. The switch had an immediate impact as Bruno Fernandes drilled a precise low finish into the bottom corner to equalise.

United pushed for a winner in the closing stages and extra time, with Obi and Garnacho both coming close, but neither side could find the breakthrough. Fulham held firm, forcing the game into penalties.

Both teams converted their first three spot-kicks before Bernd Leno denied Lindelöf. Joshua Zirkzee then saw his effort saved, sealing United’s exit from the competition.

Fernandes praises who unexpected stars

During the tie, United also saw 18-year-old Ayden Heaven make his debut for the club after he signed in January from Arsenal, with many praising him for his display.

One of those who felt Heaven played well is goalscorer and captain Fernandes, who singled out both the centre-back and young striker Obi for their positive performances despite their unexpected level of involvement during the tie.

Fernandes spoke about their performances amid giving examples of how the team’s performances are being negatively affected by the number of minutes they are playing.

“Today, you had to give an opportunity again to Chido, to Ayden,” Fernandes told reporters. “They did very well again for us, coming out from the bench.

“Obviously, you’ve seen H [Maguire] came off, he was very, very tired. Vic [Lindelöf] doesn’t play for a long time. Mata [De Ligt], he was running out of legs at the end.

“Josh [Zirkzee] also, because he wasn’t always starting and always playing 90 minutes, and now he’s been doing that for three, four games in a row, and obviously, you run out of legs.”

Two possible starts against Real Sociedad

United’s players will have to pick themselves up quickly and turn their attention to the Europa League as the club embark on a trip to San Sebastian to face Real Sociedad.

The La Liga outfit will welcome United to Spain before visiting Old Trafford in the return leg of the knockout tie, and there is a real chance that either Obi or Heaven, or possibly both, could be granted starts.

Read More: Rasmus Højlund myth dispelled during Fulham game after mind-blowing Chido Obi statistic emerges

Rasmus Højlund, who Obi replaced against Fulham and overshadowed with his impressive cameo, has not scored in 18 appearances, leaving many to say that Amorim has no choice but to drop the Danish international, even if Obi is otherwise too raw to lead the line a United.

When asked if Obi could start over Højlund soon, Amorim said: “Anything can happen in the next games. We need to see the opposition, feel the moment of the player physically. I will focus on just the next game. I will choose the best players to win the next match.”

Meanwhile, Maguire came off after 90 minutes against Fulham with an apparent injury. Although Amorim has Lindelöf as a potential replacement, when Heaven came on against Fulham, he looked much better than the Swedish captain, and may be handed his maiden start.

Make sure to follow UtdDistrict on X, Instagram, Facebook, YouTube, and TikTok to never miss out on any of our Manchester United content. Our podcast, What the Devil?, is released every Wednesday at 6 pm (BST) on the United View YouTube channel.