Bruno Fernandes has quietly amassed 87 points across nine Gameweeks in 2024

BRUNO FERNANDES (£5m) has historically been among Dream Team’s best midfielders ever since he arrived on English shores.

Manchester United’s captain was a tad under par throughout the first half of the season by his own high standards but he’s climbed up the rankings since the turn of the year.

The Portugal international now finds himself fifth among assets in his position having racked up 218 points in total.

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Dream TeamTaken for granted?[/caption]

87 of those points have come across nine Gameweeks in 2024.

The jury is still out on Erik ten Hag’s side but Fernandes has quietly notched eight goals and ten assists in all competitions after his successful penalty against Everton last time out.

That spot-kick against the Toffees means he’s now scored or assisted in each of his last four games.

More broadly, Fernandes has scored three goals and provided five assists in 11 appearances since the turn of the year.

And while his tally of nine bonus points pales in comparison to most his rivals, he ranks ninth among midfielders for tackles.

Some statisticians would say that Fernandes’ recent string of goal involvements was an inevitability as his underlying numbers have been encouraging since the get-go.

APBack among Dream Team’s elite midfielders[/caption]

Only Phil Foden (£5.9m) and Cole Palmer (£4.4m) have registered more shots on target among midfielders.

In terms of big chances created, Fernandes’ tally of 21 is the highest among all assets.

Looking forward, the fact Man United have to play Liverpool in the FA Cup and the Premier League in the next three Gameweeks means their schedule is far from favourable.

However, both those meetings will take place at Old Trafford and Mohamed Salah (£6.5m) and company spell more danger for Andre Onana (£3.3m) and the defenders than Fernandes and the other attack-minded members of the squad.

Squeezed between those games against Jurgen Klopp’s side comes a double Gameweek with the Red Devils set to take on Brentford and Chelsea.

GettyMan United host Liverpool this weekend[/caption]

Truth be told, Fernandes has generally been a fixture-proof asset in recent years – the schedule doesn’t tend to impact his returns as much as others.

That being said, if Man United are eliminated from the FA Cup by Liverpool in Gameweek 28 then their skipper may find himself light on fixtures after the international break, even more so compared to players who will still be active in Europe.

Fernandes’ form is worth acknowledging at the very least.