Ole Gunnar Solskjaer surprised Bruno Fernandes at a joint media conference by announcing he would captain Manchester United against Paris Saint-Germain on Tuesday after hailing the Portuguese’s recent impact.
Fernandes has been a revelation since his arrival from Sporting in the January transfer window, scoring 12 goals in 22 appearances across all competitions during the second half of the 2020-21 season.
He also ended the campaign as the club’s joint highest goal creator in the Premier League, sitting alongside Marcus Rashford with seven assists.
With Harry Maguire absent for United’s Champions League clash in Paris, Solskjaer had no hesitation in giving the captain’s armband to Fernandes after his impressive start to life as a United player.
“Bruno has come in and had great impact with all the stats showing that,” he rold reporters ahead of the clash in Paris.
“His performances have been receiving real great praise as well. He has not changed the team, but he has sparked the team.”