Carlos Carvalhal: Manchester United Must Use Bruno Fernandes as an 8 Not a 10

Rio Ave manager Carlos Carvalhal has told Manchester United to play January signing Bruno Fernandes in a deeper-lying midfield role than may have been predicted, saying he's "not a 10, he is an eight." 

Fernandes had 29 direct goal involvements in his last 28 appearances for Sporting CP, and he arrived in January with the image of an attacking midfielder purchased largely to aid United's attack.

But Carvalhal told Sky Sports's Adam Bate the 25-year-old can offer a much more well-rounded presence closer to the engine room:

"He is not a No 10. He is a midfielder, but he has developed that ability to break the line of the defence to score goals. He shoots, he assists, the passes and the free-kicks. But he is not a 10, he is an eight. He is a box-to-box player who understands very well the game. He doesn't just play. He understands everything that happens around him."

The former Swansea City and Sheffield Wednesday boss saw his Rio Ave side beat Sporting twice this season—in the Primeira Liga and Allianz Cup—though Fernandes managed to score in each meeting.

Carvalhal continued: "He will adapt very easily, in my opinion. I know when I say this that there is always a risk that the player does not settle. But when I look at a player like him, I can say it because he went to Italy as a teenager and was playing at a very high level. The characteristics of the player tell me that it will be easy for him."

Fans got their first sight of Fernandes in United colours when he made his club debut in a scoreless stalemate against Wolverhampton Wanderers on February 1:

Statman Dave noted the midfielder's highlights from his debut, which included an impressive tally of five tackles:

Fernandes' heat map from that fixture showed his movement across the midfield but saw him operate mostly from centre-right, aiding Juan Mata who was stationed on the wing, per WhoScored.com. Fred kept his place as primary midfield anchor alongside the more free-roaming Andreas Pereira.

Carvalhal also likened United's new £46.6 million arrival to "a manager on the pitch."

The Rio Ave chief acknowledged the physical aspect of the game can often be lacking among more creative players, but that isn't the case with Fernandes:

"Sometimes these technical players, it is their quality in the defensive transition that is a problem in the Premier League. When they lose the ball, they don't react quickly enough to win it back, but he has developed a lot in the past two seasons.

"When his team loses the ball, he reacts quickly to win the ball back. That is important in England. He is not lazy; he is the opposite. A fighter. He has everything to be a key player."

Fernandes scored 15 goals for Sporting during the first half of the campaign, and United need all the offensive help they can get with striker Marcus Rashford injured, per the Telegraph's James Ducker.

Manchester City's Bernardo Silva has played alongside Fernandes in Portugal's national team since 2017, and he picked out the playmaker's mentality as his best attribute, via Football Daily:

Samuel Luckhurst of the Manchester Evening News wrote in early February that United's record signing Paul Pogba has informed team-mates he'll leave the club this summer.

Carvalhal's description of Fernandes' qualities hint at the kind of star who could perhaps replace the Frenchman should he depart, particularly since Pogba has played just eight times this season.