Manchester United lost out to a defiant Aston Villa side on Sunday despite being the better side as the Reds dropped to seventh in the Premier League, but Bruno Fernandes' injury during the first half of the game is seen as a bigger loss for Ruben Amorim.

Bruno was seen holding his hamstring right before the end of the first half due to a crunching tackle from Villa's Amadou Onana, as the manager decided to take him off during the break to avoid further damage.

After the match ended, Amorin explained Bruno's injury as a soft tissue problem and also said that his captain is set to be out for a while as they prepare for a hectic schedule of four games in 12 days going into the new year.

Now, according to Daily Mail (h/t The Peoples Person), Fernandes could be ready for United's all-important clash against their cross-town rivals Manchester City on January 17th as they reported saying, "United are increasingly confident that Fernandes’ hamstring injury is not too serious and their captain could be back in action inside a month.”

"Fernandes limped out of Sunday’s defeat by Aston Villa at half-time and now faces a rare spell on the sidelines during the busy festive period – but could even be in contention for the Manchester derby on January 17."

The Portuguese international has arguably been the Reds' most influential player in recent times as he scored five goals and provided seven assists during the ongoing season despite playing out from a deeper role.

With Fernandes set to be out for the fixtures ahead, Amorin would need to find solutions quickly as they host Newcastle at the end of this week during the Boxing Day games.

As it seems Bruno's understudy, Kobbie Mainoo, is also set to miss out on the game against the Magpies, as a result, Amorin could be playing Mason Mount in a deeper role than his usual position.

Casemiro's availability after serving a one-game suspension due to his accumulation of yellow cards would definitely be a big boost for the Reds going into the fixture, as their usual starters, Bryan Mbeumo and Amad Diallo, have joined their respective national sides for the ongoing Africa Cup of Nations in Morocco.

Amorin would hope to bounce back from their recent defeat in Villa Park as they look to hold fort until their captain's probable return date, set on January 17th, 2026.

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