Top 10 stars with most appearances in 12 months with exhausted Man Utd and City stars burnt out after gruelling season
NO WONDER Bruno Fernandes is not pulling up any trees for Manchester United this season - he’s KNACKERED!
The Old Trafford skipper, 29, looked off the pace again as United slumped to the latest debacle against Galatasary that has put Erik ten Hag under increasing pressure.
But the Portuguese schemer has a huge excuse - after it emerged he played MORE football than any other senior player on the planet.
Statistics produced by the international players’ union FifPro found that Fernandes played a staggering 72 matches in the 12 months to September 15 this season.
That is a match every five days over a full year, a huge workload.
And Fernandes is also top of the list of time played, having been on the pitch for 6,666 minutes over the period.
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After the astonishing stats were revealed, supporters soon took to social media to sympathise with their captain.
“He needs a rest,” declared one while another wrote: “Man, I feel so sorry for him.”
“So sad,” said another before adding: “Bruno is a machine but he's too overworked!”
While another post echoed those thoughts, saying: “My god we're overworking him, give the man some rest.”
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And another is fearing the worst for the ex-Sporting Lisbon ace, saying: “It must have an impact on his body short term and long term. “He’s at risk of developing a serious injury soon.”
However, despite the physical toll on his body, one supporter believes that it is impossible to give him a breather at the moment.
They said: “Can’t be benched.. he’s absolutely the best player in that position both country and club.”
Tiredness could also be a factor in 25-year-old Marcus Rashford, with the United forward the lone Englishman in the top 15 for games.
He sits in joint seventh with 67 matches under his belt.
But the list suggests there may be something special in the training regime across Manchester at the Etihad.
No fewer than four Manchester City players are in the most-played list, with Rodri - currently suspended in the Premier League for his Nottingham Forest red card - joint-third with 68 games.
Bernardo Silva is one game behind, level with Rashford, while Swiss defender Manuel Akanji has featured 66 times, alongside Argentina’s World Cup winning-striker Julian Alvarez.
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FifPro President David Aganzo said: “The intense workload remains one of the most important problems for players participating in high-level competitions.
“As the schedule continues to expand, there simply aren't enough safeguards to protect players' well-being, performance and career longevity.”
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