In the last moments of Manchester United’s 3-0 loss to Bournemouth, Bruno Fernandes received his fifth yellow card. As a result, he will serve a one-match suspension on Sunday against Liverpool.

Even if he hasn’t been playing at his best lately, fans are already worrying about who will fill in for Fernandes in the midfield this weekend against Liverpool. Erik ten Hag must also make a crucial choice on the person who will be named captain in the absence of the Portugal star.

With the exception of one game, Fernandes has started all 24 games this season. In the Reds’ Carabao Cup fourth-round loss to Newcastle United, he came on as a substitute and played 25 minutes.

Raphael Varane wore the armband against Crystal Palace, while Casemiro led the team against the Magpies in the two games the 29-year-old did not start. Since then, the former has lost favor, and the latter is not expected to play in Sunday’s match at Anfield.

Ten Hag addresses captaincy speculation

When asked if he had made up his mind about which player would lead his squad in the eagerly awaited match, Ten Hag remained silent. All he said was, “Yes, I know.”

When asked if he would be disclosing the identity, the Dutchman replied, “No.”