Bruno Fernandes identifies weakness which has denied him Ballon d’Or triumph

Bruno Fernandes has joked he would already be a Ballon d'Or winner if he had the pace of Manchester United teammate Marcus Rashford.

Fernandes has been of the Premier League's best performers this season, continuing the form that immediately made him a cult-hero at Old Trafford after joining from Sporting Lisbon last January.

The Portuguese talisman is the complete playmaker and has a superb goal contributions record since his arrival in England.

Fernandes has 18 goals and 11 assists in the league alone this season, and has netted 29 times in total in all competitions.

Manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer knows the 26-year-old is an indispensable member of his squad and he won back-to-back Premier League player of the month awards in November and December.

But one attribute Fernandes would love to have that he is lacking is speed and the midfielder is envious of Rashford's pace.

“I think I’m not the slowest player in the world but if I would have the pace of Rashy, honestly, I would be a Ballon d’Or [winner] already," he replied to a supporter on the club's official website.

"With the pace he has, oh my God, he’s unbelievable.

“It’s incredible the way he is and, when I talk about pace, it’s about running with the ball and without the ball, and, at the same time, the pace in his feet.

"The quality he has, the moves he has and the agility he has to come away from difficult situations. It’s unbelievable.”

Rashford has enjoyed a progressive season himself, and is behind only Fernandes in the United goalscoring charts with 21 in all competitions.

The pair have struck a promising partnership at Old Trafford and they could be crucial in ending Solskjaer's wait for his first trophy as boss in the Europa League final against Villarreal.

But United will be initially focusing on a strong finish in the league and they can secure second place with a bounce-back victory at home to Fulham on Tuesday.

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