Bruno Fernandes and Mason Mount return to Man United squad, Darren Fletcher confirms

The match against Burnley will be the first game of Manchester United under a new coach. After sacking Ruben Amorim, the club appointed Darren Fletcher, the U18s coach, as interim manager while searching for a permanent replacement. On Tuesday night, Fletcher held his first press conference at Old Trafford and answered questions from the English media.

At the press conference, Fletcher brought positive news for the squad, confirming that Mason Mount and Bruno Fernandes are set to return for the Burnley match. “Mason and Bruno were pushing to play against Leeds. The decision was that they weren’t quite ready, so they’ve trained,” Fletcher said.

"(Bruno) He’s the captain, he’s the leader of the team so to have them available for selection is great news for me and for the players and for the club and for the fans." However, Fletcher confirmed that neither player is expected to play the full match, with their minutes carefully managed. United also face Brighton in the FA Cup at the weekend, so the interim coach does not want to take risks with both players.

United will be without Matthijs de Ligt and Harry Maguire due to injury, as well as midfielder Kobbie Mainoo. Noussair Mazraoui’s Morocco and Bryan Mbeumo’s Cameroon will meet on Friday in the quarter-finals of AFCON 2025, while Amad and Ivory Coast are set to face Egypt on Sunday. Fletcher did not confirm his tactical setup, but many expect United to line up in a 3-4-3 or 4-2-3-1 formation given the current squad situation.

Burnley, meanwhile, are set to welcome former United player Hannibal Mejbri back after AFCON. Another ex-United player, Axel Tuanzebe, is expected to return as DR Congo were eliminated by Algeria in the round of 16.

Manchester United are currently sixth in the Premier League with 31 points, three points behind Liverpool. The Burnley match gives Fletcher’s side a chance to move into the top four and apply pressure before Liverpool face league leaders Arsenal on Friday.

United’s upcoming fixtures are Burnley (8 January), Brighton (11 January), Manchester City (17 January), Arsenal (25 January), Fulham (1 February), Tottenham (7 February) and West Ham (11 February). Their next Premier League match after this run will be against Everton on 24 February.