Man Utd

Fernandes will be eligible to play in that game at the Estadio do Dragao on Thursday night, with the suspension from his red card in Sunday's defeat to Tottenham Hotspur only applying to domestic games.

Having grown up in Porto, as a fan of their local rivals Boavista, Bruno is more knowledgeable than most when it comes to our next opponent.

United will be looking to respond after the weekend and, although Porto lost their Europa League opener against Norwegian side Bodo/Glimt last week, their recent results in Liga Portugal have been positive. Sunday's 4-0 win over Arouca was their third successive domestic victory since losing to Sporting CP at the end of August.

"It's a side that always does really well in Europe, we have to be aware of that," Fernandes told MUTV.

"It's a team that has a great spirit, [are] improving a lot in the last few games, even if they lost the last game in the Europa League.

"It is a team that has been improving under their new manager," he added, referencing the promotion of Vitor Bruno, who is now the man in charge after spending seven years as an assistant.

"We expect a really difficult game there, but we go there to win because it’s everything that we have to think about."

United haven't faced Porto since 2009, when Cristiano Ronaldo's famous thunderbolt from distance in front of a hostile local crowd secured our aggregate win in a Champions League quarter-final tie.

Our only other trip to the Dragao, which opened in 2003, was a narrow 2-1 defeat to Jose Mourinho's eventual European champions in 2004.

90 in 20: United v Spurs  Man Utd

Highlights: United v Spurs  Man Utd

The skipper wanted to highlight the efforts of his team-mates, who played the whole of the second half with a player less than Spurs but still put the visitors under a spell of pressure.

Fernandes was shown the red card by referee Chris Kavanagh late in the first half. But while Spurs got a second goal quickly after the restart, the Reds on the pitch rallied, had a couple of penalty appeals and also went close to pulling one back through Casemiro.

"Obviously, I left my team-mates one man down. I do appreciate everything they did on the pitch was tougher for them," Bruno said in front of the Sky Sports cameras.

"We didn't start the game well when it was 11 v 11, and the result is on [Tottenham's] side and we get the situation with the red card. [My team-mates] did well, they tried, we did concede another two goals. It was difficult to cover all the spaces. I think it's many good things we can take away from this. The resilience of the team was always there and I'm very proud of the team.

"Obviously, no-one likes to be sent off. It's not a good feeling seeing my team-mates running a lot, trying a lot and trying to score, because that's what they tried to do to get a result on our side. We end up conceding another two goals but they did try everything."

Fernandes disagreed with the referee's decision to produce a red card in response to the challenge on James Maddison. He lost his footing beforehand but still tried to win the ball, making contact with the Spurs midfielder's leg.

"I don't take him as everyone wants to see it, going with the studs. I take him with my ankle. It's a clear foul, but never a red card, that's my feeling," our No.8 explained, giving his honest assessment of the situation.

"Even Maddison when he gets up…he just said like: 'It is a foul but never a red card'. In the eyes of everyone, you can see this is never a red card. Because if this is a red card, we have to look at many other incidents.

"I've had many incidents when I get kicked and I’ve never seen something so quick coming up as a red card. I just think it's never a red card. It's a foul. Even the contact is not that strong. If [the referee] wants to give me a yellow because it's a counter-attack, I agree. And then I don't understand why the VAR didn't call the referee to the screen. For me, it's just not a really good decision."

Both clubs were in Europa League action in the days leading up to this one and the two managers, having seen fit to lean on squad depth for those matches against FC Twente and Qarabag, made changes here.

Alejandro Garnacho, Kobbie Mainoo and Matthijs de Ligt were back in Erik ten Hag's XI, while Ange Postecoglou restored seven to the Spurs line-up - including Cristian Romero and James Maddison. The visitors were, however, missing captain Son Heung-min through an injury sustained on Thursday.

Brennan Johnson's third-minute opener was an early setback and the hill to climb got much steeper when Bruno Fernandes was shown a red card towards the end of the first half. Dejan Kulusevski then doubled the Spurs lead straight after the interval, before United rallied to give the fans some hope of mounting a comeback. However, Dominic Solanke grabbed a third as time ticked on.

FIRST HALF - FAST SPURS START

It was an intense start to the proceedings but, when a promising early Reds counter-attack broke down, Micky van de Ven collected the ball in his own half and surged forward using his blistering pace. The Dutchman eventually reached the byline down on our right-hand side and sent a dangerous centre across the six-yard box that Johnson was in the right place to tap in, inside three minutes.

Andre Onana was soon also called into action to deny a buoyant Spurs, rushing out to close down Maddison's attempt after a quick one-two from the visitors.

As United began to gain more of a foothold, the biggest source of danger was in the wide areas and Marcus Rashford got into threatening positions on a few occasions. But Spurs had another chance of their own when Johnson struck the base of the far post after the visitors worked the ball from left to right.

Increasingly end to end, only a brilliant save from Guglielmo Vicario, throwing out a hand low to his right, stopped a stretching Joshua Zirkzee from making it 1-1 midway through the first half, after being played in by Mainoo.

Postecoglou's side, pushed on by attacking full-backs Pedro Porro and Destiny Udogie, continued to probe and stand-in skipper Romero was only a whisker wide with an ambitious volley. Garnacho was even closer at the other end when he met Rashford’s searching cross from the left, watching the ball onto his right foot but seeing the attempt cannon off the outside of a post.

There was time for another big Onana save in the final stages of the half, coming out on top in a one-on-one with Timo Werner. But then came a huge moment when referee Chris Kavanagh reached for a straight red card for Fernandes, slipping as he tried to tackle Maddison and adjudged to have caught the Tottenham man high on the shin whilst aiming a leg at the ball. United also almost simultaneously lost Mainoo to injury in a double blow right before the interval.

SECOND HALF - AN EARLY BLOW

Half-time brought a personnel change, with Casemiro replacing Zirkzee, and a tactical reshuffle as Rashford moved central. But the second Spurs goal came almost immediately after the restart, with Johnson breaking clear down their right flank and firing a deflected cross into the middle. As the ball popped up off De Ligt, Kulusevski delicately flicked it beyond the reach of Onana.

Our keeper was sharp around 10 minutes into the half when he parried from Werner racing through and got up to smother the rebound just as Solanke was closing in.

But, as the rain began to fall at M16, a third goal came with just under 15 minutes of the 90 to play. Spurs substitute Pape Matar Sarr flicked on a corner at the near post, with Solanke sneaking unchecked through the middle to poke the ball in from close range.

United staff took no risks with a late head injury suffered by Mason Mount, withdrawing the substitute following a heavy clash with replacement centre-back Radu Dragusin. But it was a positive to see Mason able to walk towards the dressing room unaided after being patched up.

Spurs might have had a fourth goal in stoppage time but for Onana, sticking out an instinctive leg to deny Solanke through on goal. The rebound was inviting for Sarr, although he could only put the header wide of the target. De Ligt also prodded a late chance of a consolation off target for the Reds.

The 16:30 BST kick-off provides ample opportunity for Erik ten Hag's team to get back to winning ways, after draws against Crystal Palace and FC Twente in the Premier League and Europa League, respectively.

Ahead of the match, former Reds Danny Simpson and Ben Thornley have been playing our United Predictions game, where you can select Erik's starting XI, the scoreline, who you think will find the net first and your Man of the Match - with the chance of winning great prizes.

Both Danny and Ben are tipping summer signing Manuel Ugarte to make his first-ever Premier League start against Ange Postecoglou's side on Sunday...

Thornley, who will be commentating on the game live - available throughout the 90 minutes in our app and on ManUtd.com - has gone for the same line-up as Simpson, but backs there to be more goals in the match with a different Red standing out as our star man.

BEN THORNLEY'S PREDICTIONS

United XI

Onana

Mazraoui

De Ligt

Martinez

Dalot

Ugarte

Mainoo

Garnacho

Fernandes

Rashford

Zirkzee

First scorer: Marcus Rashford

Final score: 2-0

Man of the Match: Manuel Ugarte

PLAY UNITED PREDICTIONS

Do you agree or disagree with Danny or Ben? Make your own picks in our United Predictions game now.

You have until 15:15 BST to select your starting XI, and you can make your picks for first scorer, result and Man of the Match right up until kick-off.

With amazing prizes - including signed shirts and United Store vouchers - on offer, what are you waiting for? Get involved now!

The midfielder was sent off for serious foul play during the Premier League match against Tottenham Hotspur on Sunday, 29 September.

Fernandes was set to miss our league fixtures against Aston Villa, Brentford and West Ham but will now be available for selection following the successful appeal.

Part two: Press conference v Spurs  Man Utd

Building up to the 16:30 BST kick-off at Old Trafford, the boss also told journalists inside Carrington how he deals with the pressure of the job, which he says comes with the spotlight of being Reds boss.

Despite that pressure, he retains a strong belief that he can develop his squad to compete at the highest levels, starting with Spurs at the Theatre of Dreams tomorrow afternoon.

Keep scrolling to read, or watch, everything the manager had to say...

TRUSTING IN YOUTH

"That is the choices [deploying young players] we have made the last two seasons. I understand the impressions many have for Manchester United, because the history is so big, but that is the choices we have made, and that has also to do with some financials, and other restrictions we have to deal with. We made a choice for young players, and the young players are not in the level, you can't expect them [to be], we have to improve them, and they have to improve themselves. And we have to find a team that can be successful on a consistent base. And this team, in the last two years, they've shown they can do it, on occasions, and on occasions we can win trophies, but we have to get more consistent."

EUROPEAN AIMS

"It's [Champions League qualification] never spoken of how you ask me the question now, but what I think is: we have to succeed. And we have to win trophies, that's what this club stands for and the highest platforms; this club has the ambition to play in the highest platform. Yeah, we want to achieve the Champions League, that's clear, and we have two routes, that's one of the Premier League and the other one is the Europa League."

SQUAD BUILDING

"First, we are where we are now, with this squad. But, I think with all the restrictions we've had, we've done good work. And now we have to work with the squad, we have now to improve the squad. As I just made arguments: we have a god squad. We have a good squad, but with young players. We have to improve, we have to improve the team. And then we have targets, we have high targets, we want to achieve those targets for this season, but also the years beyond."

DEALING WITH PRESSURE

"Yeah, first of all, respect the criticism. There are many. You can have an opinion about football, when you are in a job, you have to deal with this. But I can't take every criticism into account. I don't read, of course, all the criticism, not even possible, but I don't want either to know. It's about: I need to know some, and some are very good advices... but for me, it's stay clinical, and see where the team is, which areas we have to improve. Stay also methodical, that you guide the team in the right pathway, and make sure you make the right steps to get the best out of the team."

IN THE SPOTLIGHT

"I think we will be judged every game, and that's normal. And everyone is, for every game, expecting United is winning, and we know that, so that's not a secret for anyone. When you are in this club, you have to deal with this factor, and we do. And it doesn't matter, if you are young or old or whatever, but yeah, we have to cope with this, and we have to get, of course, the best out of it and, yeah, match expectations. Everyone has, but we know also, and as with other respects, yeah: young players, young squad, a new team. Yeah, that takes time. And we are going in a good direction, I think, in the last couple of weeks, and in many aspects of football. Now it's about: be more efficient, score more goals, because that will win you games."

Sunday's game is being billed as a game between two rivals who are fighting for the top four in the Premier League. Do you see it that?

"[We are] definitely rivals. I think this is good because it is [going to be] a very attacking game, a very open game, a very intense game. I think it has big history, United against Tottenham."

There have been 12 goals scored in the four games you have managed in this fixture, three in a match and no 0-0's since 2014, so there is always seemingly goals in this game. It is an exciting fixture...

"I think both teams will be [thinking] about attacking and therefore there are always spaces which you leave then. That counts for both teams but of course we want to take control of the game and we will do everything to get this done. Of course this is a big challenge against Tottenham with their philosophy of the game. We are looking forward to finding the right solutions."

Are there any changes to your matchday squad for the game?

"I don't expect them. We are now three days up before the game and as I see now everyone came out well from the game against FC Twente. I expect the same squad will be available and then I will pick the team."

We saw Leny Yoro post a picture in the gym of him working hard. Is his recovery going as expected?

"Yes, he is doing very well. It is very pleasing that his rehab is going in the right direction and I expect him soon, but what I mean by soon is that he is now in the right planning process. He is in the right spot and he will return as soon as possible into the squad and then the team training."