Manchester United's Premier League campaign has been put on hold after the first five matches of the 2026/27 season, as players head off on international duty during an extended break.

The September and October international windows have been combined this season, meaning the interruption to the domestic schedule will last three weeks. United will finally return to Premier League action on October 10, when Tottenham Hotspur visit Old Trafford. In the meantime, international sides will play four matches instead of the usual two during the extended window.

It has been a somewhat inconsistent opening to the campaign for Michael Carrick's team, but a large portion of his squad remains involved at the international level.

United initially had 15 first-team players called up, although that number has since been reduced. Karl Darlow, Kobbie Mainoo, Marcus Rashford and Benjamin Šeško have all pulled out of their respective squads, leaving 11 United players still representing their countries.

Manchester United captain Bruno Fernandes has represented Portugal in two of the country's three Nations League fixtures so far, and wasn't in the squad in the now-infamous 2-1 victory over Norway, in which Cristiano Ronaldo was an unused substitute.

After also being told he wouldn't start in the country's subsequent match against Denmark, Ronaldo walked out of Portugal's camp, opting to return to Saudi Arabia ahead of Al Nassr's return to league football on the 9th of October.

 Bruno Fernandes said he spoke with the former Manchester United star to help maintain harmony in the camp after the 41-year-old's controversial exit.

"Regarding Cristiano, I had a conversation with him,’ Fernandes told a press conference on Saturday.

"What I told him, and what I repeat here, is this – the most important thing is that, regardless of what happens, Cristiano Ronaldo will never cease to be the greatest symbol of our national team, of our football, and of the country, for what he has done not only in Portugal but throughout the world.

"He has a reserved place not only among the best of all time, but also in the hearts of all Portuguese people, and the most important thing is that we stop dividing things. There are no divisions in the national team, it is one and will remain so, despite any noise that may come from outside.

"We are outside of this controversy, but what I ask is that the country does not divide itself, does not make choices, that it respects all sides. At the same time, Cris is and will be the biggest icon of our national team, he deserves everyone’s respect, regardless of who likes him more or less."

It was revealed that Bruno Fernandes had picked up an injury during United's win against Sabah as the club returned to Champions League football with a dominant win over their Azerbaijani opposition.

As a result, the 32-year-old underwent late fitness tests to start United's two Premier League fixtures against Manchester City and Fulham before the three-week international break.

Portugal boss Jorge Jesus admitted that Fernandes had been dealing with a 'complicated problem', revealing that he had been playing through the pain barrier at Manchester United, with his minutes managed, as shown by his early substitution against Wales.

Fernandes inherited the captain's armband after Ronaldo left camp, meaning he played the full 90 minutes against Denmark and will likely have a big role against Norway in Portugal's final fixture of the break.

Rather than fully resolving his injury issues, it seems like Fernandes has opted to manage the problem, meaning that while the injury persists, he can still perform, evident by his two assists against Denmark.

He will almost certainly feature for United's fixture against Tottenham Hotspur on the 10th of October, but whether he will be fully fit remains to be seen.