Bruno Fernandes has alleviate concerns over his fitness after playing down the severity of a knock sustained during his side’s dramatic 2-1 victory over Scotland in the Nations League.
The Manchester United midfielder, who celebrated his 30th birthday, described the issue as “just a little bump” and assured fans that it wouldn’t keep him sidelined.
Fernandes had earlier equalized with a stunning long-range effort, canceling out Scott McTominay‘s opener,
before Cristiano Ronaldo‘s late winner sealed the win.
Despite appearing to struggle with an ankle problem before Ronaldo’s goal, Fernandes remained on the field until the final whistle, easing fears of a potential injury layoff.
Asked for an update on his ankle after Portugal’s win, Fernandes replied: ‘It’s okay. It’s just a little bump.’
According to Fernandes, Portugal proved their doggedness and ‘resilience’ by coming from behind to beat a ‘very tough’ Scotland side.
‘Scotland are a very tough team, with very high-quality players, almost all of their squad play in the Premier League and that shows in their quality right away.’
‘They are tough, physically strong and, what’s more, they are players who know how to handle the ball and they are very dangerous from set-pieces.
‘We knew that before the match, but we ended up conceding a goal at a bad time.
‘But this game shows our resilience and the way we knew how to react to adversity, coming from behind and then winning the game.’
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‘It wasn’t a perfect day, I would have preferred it to be a less difficult game.
‘It’s always rewarding to score for the national team and to win on your birthday and to be able to celebrate with Portugal, even better.’
Fernandes backed Ronaldo to reach the 1,000-goal milestone before he decides to hang up his boots.
‘The influence is always the same, regardless of whether he starts on the bench or not,’ the former Sporting man went on.
‘Everyone who came on made a difference. Cristiano got a goal, today he scored his 901st and now he is on his way to 1,000 goals, which is what he wants.’
Fernandes, who has started all three of United’s opening matches this season, has an impressive record of durability, having missed just four games through injury in his 600-game career.
Fernandes’ comments will reassure United fans, who have grown accustomed to his influential performances on the pitch.
With the attacking midfielder at the helm, United will look to build momentum in the Premier League, starting with their upcoming match against Southampton.
