‘It’s not fair’: Hojlund pleased to see United teammate excelling in the face of unwarranted ‘criticism’

Rasmus Hojlund has heaped praise on the shoulders of his Manchester United teammate and club captain, Bruno Fernandes.

Despite the Red Devils’ recent run of fluctuating form, the Portugal star has been one silver lining throughout, with him seemingly back to his prolific best.

In his past five outings, Fernandes has scored seven goals and assisted a further two, playing an integral role in United’s FA Cup progression and quest to close the gap on the Premier League’s top four.

Last time out against Sheffield United, he put in a particularly spirited shift and almost single-handedly won his side a vital three points.

In the 61st minute, when the scoreline was 2-1 in the away side’s favour, the skipper converted from the spot to level the tie with just under a half-hour to play.

He then produced a scintillating moment of magic just 20 minutes later when, after receiving the ball in the middle of the park, he struck an inch-perfect left-footed rocket from 25 yards out that proved unsaveable for Wes Foderingham.

Another quickfire goal saw Hojlund seal the victory when he was teed up by Fernandes in the 85th minute.

It was later revealed that the midfielder played the entire 90 minutes with a broken right hand that he had sustained three days prior against Coventry City. He was adamant about starting in the midweek fixture despite the injury.

Such a mentality will undoubtedly resonate amongst other members in the dressing room, as Fernandes’ commitment to the cause is second to none.

Hojlund reserves special praise for his skipper

Following Wednesday’s win over the Blades, Hojlund expressed how pleased he was to see the 29-year-old receive plaudits for his recent showings.

“I was very happy for him because he’s also getting a lot of criticism, and it’s not fair because he’s doing everything top-level all the time,” the forward said on Match of the Day. “He’s an amazing captain. He’s been very good recently and also in the last many, many games. But again, a player who gets a lot of criticism, which is not needed.”