Bruno Fernandes ruled out for Portugal with injury that has troubled him for three United games

Bruno Fernandes will not feature for Portugal against Norway in the Nations League after head coach Jorge Jesus confirmed the Manchester United captain is managing a persistent injury that has hampered him for the past three weeks.

Portugal were required to submit their official squad list to UEFA on the morning of the match, and Fernandes was absent from it. Jesus had already signalled the decision was likely, revealing after the Wales fixture that the 32-year-old came off with what he described as “a complicated problem.”

“He’s coming off an injury at United, and he told me he’s been playing with that pain for the last three games, which is hindering him,” Jesus said. “It was one of the factors that prevented Bruno from playing at his best against Wales. I’ve already spoken to him and I prefer not to risk it in this game so he’s fully fit for the Denmark match.”

The Portugal coach added that experience told him not all players recover within three days of a game, but stressed that whoever came in as a replacement offered sufficient guarantees.

The disclosure that Fernandes has been carrying the problem throughout recent Premier League action will concern United, given his central role in the side. The midfielder has started and completed 90 minutes in all but one United fixture this season — the sole exception being a Carabao Cup tie against Brighton, where he came off the bench in the final quarter with his side trailing.

Jesus’ comments suggest Fernandes will return to action for Portugal’s next fixture against Denmark rather than spending the remainder of the international break recovering at United’s Carrington training base, which the club would almost certainly have preferred.

The timing is awkward for manager Michael Carrick, whose side have managed just two wins across all competitions this season. United face Tottenham in just under a fortnight, and the prospect of their talisman arriving back from international duty short of full fitness adds another layer of concern to an already pressured period.