Ahead of their Champions League group stage opener against Paris Saint-Germain, Ole Gunnar Solskjaer sprang a surprise on one member of his Manchester United squad.
After it became clear that Harry Maguire wouldn’t make the match on Tuesday night because of injury, the Norwegian had to name a new captain for the game.
Whether the decision was made on the spot is unknown, but Bruno Fernandes certainly seemed shocked by it.
“The captain sits next to me, Bruno will captain the team tomorrow,” Solskjaer had noted at his pre-match press conference, cited by the Daily Star.
The Portuguese clearly had no idea that was coming.
“I was not expecting this – I found out this the same time as you!” he said, cited by the Daily Star.
“It is an honour, an important achievement for me. The captain is everyone – everyone needs to help, be a leader on their way.
“The leadership is different in every player. It is not about me, but about the team.”
It’s sure to be a popular choice, and not just because Fernandes seems to be doing the business on the pitch, week in and week out.
The midfielder doesn’t appear to be frightened to pull his team-mates up if he feels they’re not working hard enough on the training pitch or in games.
Precisely the sort of character United need to give the armband to.