Man Utd playmaker Bruno Fernandes has issued a warning to his teammates as they prepare to face Leeds in their Premier League season opener.
Saturday’s early kick-off at Old Trafford sees the War of the Roses rivalry reignited once more after the sides played out two very different but entertaining encounters last season.
In their first Premier League clash for 16 years, Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s side ran out comfortable 6-2 winners in a pulsating match at Old Trafford before the return fixture at Elland Road ended in a cagey goalless draw.
The Red Devils produced a slick 4-0 win over Everton on Saturday in their final pre-season friendly ahead of the season, and they will go into the weekend’s clash against Leeds as favourites in front of a sell-out Old Trafford.
Marcelo Bielsa’s team have had a tough pre-season, losing 3-2 to Real Betis and heavily to Ajax before playing out a 2-2 draw with Manchester United’s Europa League Final conquerors Villarreal.
Their pre-season form is a stark contrast to the way they finished last season, with Leeds top of the Premier League form guide table for the last 10 games of the season, finishing their first season back in the top flight in ninth position.
And speaking to the Man Utd club website after Saturday’s win over Everton, Fernandes confirmed that he and his teammates are preparing for the best version of a notoriously high-intense Leeds team.
“I’m feeling ready, honestly,” he said. “It was a good break for me, I enjoyed it. I’ve come back and had two weeks of training and I’m feeling fresh and ready to start the season.
“Of course, we know now that that game [Leeds] is the one that counts for the league. Today was about doing the right things, taking some minutes in the legs, start doing the right things and try to put in what we are training all week in Scotland.
“Now we have one more week to prepare for the game and we have to prepare well because it’s a different game, different intensity, different team, different way to play.
“We know what to expect and I hope we can have the same result as today.”
