The end of the international break will spark the beginning of a new era for Manchester United, as Mauricio Pochettino arrives as the latest in the line of managers post-Sir Alex Ferguson.

The 54-year-old enters Old Trafford with a huge task at hand, with United currently sitting in 18th place after a thrilling 4-4 draw at home to Aston Villa, marking the end of the Michael Carrick era.

Captain Bruno Fernandes has been an ever-present in United's side since his arrival in January of 2020, with the Portuguese being a beacon of hope in many tough Manchester United stints.

Fernandes earned the captain's armband in the summer of 2023, after his immediate successes and has continued to be United's creative spark under an array of managers.

However, Rene Meulensteen, who has been one of Sir Alex's right-hand men, has claimed that Manchester United has not been helpful to Fernandes' mind, with the possibility of the Portuguese leaving growing stronger by the day.

Criticism towards Fernandes has grown after the Portugal international openly criticised Carrick's tactics and his attitude on the pitch translated into poor performances.

Former Manchester United assistant coach under Sir Alex Ferguson, Rene Meulensteen, spoke to TalkSPORT about the United captain's future under Pochettino after a shaky start to the season.

He claimed: "In terms of Bruno, Bruno has been a fantastic servant for Manchester United over many, many years.

"He's not hit the same levels this year round. I think he's also been, to some extent, maybe even mentally damaged by all the negativity that has surrounded the club and himself.

"To be fairly honest, I think he's been a great servant, but I would not be too sad if he decided to leave the club. I think there's many more people, more players that I think need to move on, and we need to create a different kind of dynamism in the team."

The summer transfer window saw a proposed midfield revamp with the arrivals of Andrey Santos, Youri Tielemans and Carlos Baleba to reinforce the core of the squad as INEOS continued their methods of recruiting players in positional blocks.

After a combined fee of £148 million, excluding add-ons, to bolster the midfield in the summer, doubts remain over whether Manchester United can fill the boots of Fernandes if he were to depart come the end of his contract in 2027.

A major favourite replacement within the fanbase is Nottingham Forest's Morgan Gibbs-White, as he continues to perform in a turbulent Forest side. Fernandes' senior role in the squad and undeniable output on the pitch is not something that is easily replicated.

Current options within the squad would be an injury-prone Mason Mount and a 29-year-old Tielemans, both of whom do not seem to be suitable long-term successors to Fernandes.

For now, Fernandes remains at the club and needs to deliver under Pochettino for the sake of the club and his next move, wherever and whenever that will be. The mentality in the squad needs to shift, and Fernandes, as captain, plays a crucial role in steering the ship.