Richard Keys believes Bruno Fernandes deliberately got booked versus Bournemouth on Saturday afternoon to ensure he would play no part in Manchester United's match with Liverpool
Fernandes picked up his fifth yellow card of the season in United's 3-0 home loss to the Cherries
The Portugal international endured a torrid time as skipper on Merseyside last season as his side suffered a humiliating 7-0 defeat
Keys is convinced will have been in the back of the midfielder's mind just before being cautioned by referee Peter Bankes
Keys posed the following question to fellow beIN Sports host Andy Gray: "
Keys:
Do you think Fernandes knew that if he got booked, he was going to miss the Liverpool game?"
Gray remarked: "Of course he would know."
Keys continued: "So he has got himself booked on purpose, knowing it is a good one to miss?" Offering an answer to this,
Gray stated: "Well, his memories of Anfield from last season are not very good. He had a dreadful time at Anfield last season.
"If you're asking me whether the captain of Manchester United knowingly gets himself booked so he would be unavailable for his team and fans, I hope not. I would be horrified if a footballer did that."
Keys has no doubt in his mind that is exactly what the former Sporting star intended to do.
Keys
"I think he knows at 3-0 down, United stopped playing and it could have been four or five. I think he knows that next week could be a bad day out for the football club
"If we're all agreed that if he knew he got booked he would miss the game, I can't think of any other scenario whereby I could allow him the room to manoeuvre on that and say 'it was a heated moment'. It wasn't.
"I think he knew he gets booked and misses the game. That, for me, sums him up. He is not a captain, he is not a leader and his position there has been questioned by proper Manchester United captains."
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