Bruno Fernandes has played the most football in Europe’s top five leagues this season

Marcus Rashford had just struck a strike fueled by the venom of frustration when Erik ten Hag decided to make a few substitutions. An hour into the second leg of what really ended like a contest with Rashford’s brilliant goal, the electronic card signaled two substitutions for tired limbs. Rashford was one, Fred the other. Bruno Fernandes, however, stayed away.

Even when United were guaranteed to progress, 5-1 on aggregate, Fernandes was on the pitch spinning. By the time he finally came off, in the 68th minute, he had cemented his place as the most-used player in Europe’s top five leagues. Incredibly, Fernandes has played more minutes in all competitions this season than any other player in England, Spain, Italy, Germany and France. including goalkeepers.

Fernandes clocked 3,751 total minutes in 2022-23. David de Gea is next on the list, with 3,690. Vinicius Junior, who at 22 is six years younger, is third on 3,510. Five goalkeepers make up the top 10. In terms of games played, Fernandes is also the best in Europe with 43, as is Rashford. De Gea is next on 41, alongside Federico Valverde and Eduardo Camavinga.

Ten Hag could have completely left Fernandes out of his squad against Real Betis. He was one booking away from a suspension and the way he plays the game – and the way he talks to the referees – means he is still flirting with danger. But Ten Hag revived Fernandes as he was the safest bet to qualify for the quarter-finals.

Fernandes had four chances in Sevilla, the most by any player, and two of them were classed as ‘big’ due to scoring odds. Both were saved by Rui Silva when the sharp tousles would have been expected – one for Rashford and one for Marcel Sabitzer. Fernandes dispatched Rashford cleanly, after good work from Facundo Pellistri, the Portuguese holding the ball for a split second for the passing angle to open up and then weighing his ball perfectly. Rashford followed that miss with a horribly biased shot over the bar, but then got his revenge a minute later by burying a shot from outside the box, appearing to channel self-flagellation productively.

The chance Fernandes created for Sabitzer came in the eight-minute period after he stayed on after Rashford’s withdrawal, perhaps a reason why Ten Hag left him a bit longer.

After the match, Ten Hag explained why and how Fernandes plays so often. “He is very strong, has a very good recovery, he is a very good athlete, he has so much energy,” he said, before developing another aspect of his game. “He can play in so many roles, tactically he is brilliant, we can overload areas, we can outplay our opponents We create good situations and chances, he is very important in the counter-press and transitions He is a good example for The last few weeks he has been in brilliant form and it looks like he is improving game by game.

A resounding endorsement from Ten Hag, who sees Fernandes as a player capable of understanding and carrying out his instructions, hence the consistency of his selection.

Whenever Ten Hag is asked if Fernandes plays too much, he has a simple answer: “He likes to play and he doesn’t want to miss anything.” Fernandes has been involved in bad defeats this season, but one glaring occasion where his presence was missed came against Aston Villa in November. Fernandes was suspended, Donny van de Beek started instead and United lost 3-1.

Fernandes has come under intense scrutiny for his display against Liverpool. His wild reactions to the officials and his restless outbursts on the scoreline were poorly reflected. But Ten Hag defended it wholeheartedly, insisting he would keep the armband when Harry Maguire didn’t feature.

“He’s been a very big part of why we’re in the position we’re in because he energizes the team, not only does he run a lot at the highest intensity but also in the common sense and in the right direction,” Ten Hag said. “He points and coaches the players, he is an inspiration to the whole team. But no one is perfect, everyone has their mistakes. Everyone has to learn. I have to learn and he will learn too because he is smart.

Injuries and problems have plagued Antony, Jadon Sancho and Anthony Martial, but they don’t seem to penetrate Fernandes. Ten Hag can count on him. Fernandes talks to his teammates at Carrington in a collaborative way. He left the pitch in Sevilla with De Gea, in the midst of discussions.

There was no doubt that Ten Hag would start him at Estadio Benito Villamarin. United had been leading 4-1 from the first leg but Betis fans arrived hoping for a comeback. Led by a supporter with a megaphone, they marched to the ground and bounced throughout the first half, letting emotion burst at every significant moment.

Having Fernandes in the squad, a belligerent and talented No.10, was important to ease the mood. In the eighth minute, a Fernandes corner met Harry Maguire’s header but Wout Weghorst couldn’t quite connect from the film. Three minutes later, Fernandes placed a tackle on Ayoze Perez to stop a dangerous counter. He hit a nice shot from distance and then called on referee Srdjan Jovanovic for a corner kick. He made sure United didn’t sleepwalk during this game which felt like dead rubber at kick-off.

At other times, he calmed things down. Shortly before the break there was a counter opportunity with Rashford clearing the wing but Fernandes turned inside to hand the ball to Fred and held possession for a minute until to him attempting an overhand pass into the box for Rashford and Pellistri. On the eve of half-time, Fernandes hit a free-kick which saw Pellistri connect in goal and Weghorst hit the post.

He may not score the number of goals he did in his first two seasons, but he’s still crucial to the running of United, and he’s on par with Europe’s best players in his position in 2022-23 . He is 14th in the midfield rankings in the top five domestic leagues by combining goals and assists, having secured 11. Martin Odegaard, Kevin De Bruyne and Vincenzo Grifo lead with 16.

He has created 71 Premier League chances this season. At United, Luke Shaw is next on 27. For big odds, Fernandes has 19, with Shaw No 2 on six. On expected assists, Fernandes is at 6.72. Casemiro is second in 2.64.

The criticism comes from Fernandes’ failed attempts to play killer balls. But he can refine his risk-taking. Against Betis, he completed 33 of 40 assists, a success rate of 83%.

He was also influential in the games against Barcelona which could still define this season. He unnecessarily gave away the penalty which put United on the back foot, but he held the goal and set Fred up for the equaliser, and was also involved in Antony’s winner.

After the 2-1 win over Xavi’s side, Fernandes spent some time on the empty Old Trafford ground with his children. He was a picture of contentment as his two-year-old son Goncalo dribbled the ball into the net, with a scattering of United fans still in the stand cheering on the action.

This tranquility rarely features in Fernandes’ game. He plays on the edge and that makes him a lightning rod for divisive opinion.

But as his ubiquity shows, Ten Hag has an unwavering faith in his qualities.

(Top photo: Fran Santiago/Getty Images)