Bruno Fernandes will continue as Manchester United‘s primary penalty taker, despite recent misses, as stated by head coach Ruben Amorim.
This season, Fernandes has missed penalties against Fulham and Brentford.
The missed penalty at Craven Cottage resulted in a 1-1 draw for United, while the failure against Brentford occurred when the score was 2-1 before the home team extended their lead to 3-1 late in the match.
Amorim confirmed that Fernandes will take penalties during their upcoming match against Liverpool on Sunday.
“He is our main penalty taker,” Amorim mentioned. “He scores a lot of goals. If needed, we can make a change, but I have complete confidence that Bruno will overcome this.”
Fernandes’ two missed penalties, alongside Bryan Mbeumo‘s miss during the Carabao Cup shoot-out against Grimsby Town, have impacted Amorim’s challenging start this season.
The Portugal midfielder successfully converted a late penalty in the 3-2 victory over Burnley in August.
Moreover, before this season, his last missed penalty in the Premier League was against Chelsea in December 2023.
“I understand it’s not easy for him,” Amorim remarked. “He has taken around 70 penalties and missed about eight—two under my management. That frustrates me, but he remains confident and is practicing penalties. He’s aware of how people are watching his penalty-taking style, and he will be prepared.”
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Fernandes is expected to be a key player against Liverpool on Sunday as United seeks their first win at Anfield since 2016. However, the same cannot be said for Kobbie Mainoo and Joshua Zirkzee, whose playing time has been limited this season.
There is increasing speculation that both players might seek to leave Old Trafford in January, but Amorim emphasized that he “needs everyone” in the squad.
“I realize there’s a lot of noise around the club,” he said. “People want updates. Players want playing time, especially with the World Cup coming up. Agents are always listening to what players say. I understand that, but they are our players, and we need everyone to have a successful season.”