Bruno Fernandes spotted watching game from stands on weekend off from Man Utd as reason explained

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Bruno Fernandes was seen attending a Portuguese second tier fixture during his weekend off from Manchester United duties. Fernandes, 31, travelled back to his native country following United's 1-1 draw with West Ham last Tuesday, a result which concluded Michael Carrick's four-match unbeaten run as interim boss.

With the Reds eliminated from the FA Cup following a third-round loss to Brighton last month, they enjoyed a weekend without a fixture. Fernandes chose to make the most of the break by returning home. However, he surprised supporters on Sunday when images emerged of him attending a Liga Portugal 2 fixture.

United's captain Fernandes was spotted in the crowd at Estadio Capital do Movel as Pacos Ferreira played out a 0-0 draw with Torreense. The Portugal midfielder was pictured wrapped in a green blanket alongside family members.

According to SportTV, Fernandes attended to support his mate and Pacos player Francisco Ramos, who returned to Portugal last summer after a two-year stint with Polish outfit Radomiak Radom.

Fernandes and Ramos are understood to have maintained a close bond for quite some time, stretching back to their days together in Portugal's youth team system. Following Pacos' goalless stalemate with Torreense, Ramos described Fernandes as someone who is "always special".

Ramos, 30, said: "He is always special. He is someone connected to me and my family. In addition, it is always special to have a figure of this from our football watching us. He values Portuguese football, he values Pacos de Ferreira and I'm happy to have him close."

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Fernandes is expected to return to the United Kingdom shortly as United gear up for next Monday's Premier League clash with Everton . The Reds resume action following a 13-day break after the stalemate at West Ham, which saw them hold onto fourth position in the league standings.

Carrick's United were, nevertheless, heading towards a first league loss in 2026 until Benjamin Sesko equalised Tomas Soucek's 50th minute breakthrough. Sesko converted Bryan Mbeumo's delivery in the 96th minute to salvage a point for the Reds, who extend their unbeaten run in the league to nine matches.

Speaking after the West Ham encounter, Carrick acknowledged he had conflicting feelings about the outcome and the point gained.

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"It's mixed feelings," Carrick said in his press conference. "We know we weren't quite at our best and credit West Ham for that. We can be better, the boys are frustrated and disappointed with that, which is good to see.

"We found a late goal, it's a great moment and another positive. We don't want to have to pull on it and use it too often, but in the grand scheme of things, a point is something we can take. When you assess games over a five-match period, to only have one draw is a big positive but it's mixed feelings."

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