Fernandes will have a key role to play at Wembley (Picture: Getty)
Rio Ferdinand has urged Manchester United to focus on nullifying Rodri in Saturday’s FA Cup final, believing Bruno Fernandes can keep the Manchester City star quiet.
The rivals meet in a Wembley derby with City chasing down three trophies, having already secured the Premier League title while being heavy favourites to beat Inter Milan in the Champions League final later this month.
United, the only English side to win the Treble, can deny their city rivals that moment of history while adding to their own trophy haul this season having bagged the Carabao Cup in March.
City thrashed United 6-3 at the Etihad in their first league meeting of the season before a late Marcus Rashford winner secured revenge in the reverse fixture in January.
Ferdinand has pinpointed midfielder Rodri as City’s biggest threat on the day, insisting United must get someone around him to counter his threat on the ball from deep positions. The former defender believes Fernandes is the perfect man for the job, believing it will help open up space for Rashford to exploit.
‘I think I would play Bruno on Rodri,’ Ferdinand told Vibe with Five. ‘Everything great about this City team, most of it comes through him.
‘I would want someone on him who can just buzz around him but when we get the ball, run off him and get off the back of him because he is integral to what they do. Just stop him getting the ball. It then allows John Stones to come out and create holes for the front three to run into.
Rodri has been integral to City’s success this season (Picture: Getty)
‘I would want Rodri kept quiet and I would entice one of their back four to come out with the ball, it’s always been Stones recently, I’d want him to come as far as he wants when I’ve got people like Rashford and Sancho to run into those big gaps.’
Jadon Sancho meanwhile has found form in the final run of league games and could start on either flank this weekend with Antony an injury doubt.
While he has struggled for consistency this season, Ferdinand believes the former Borussia Dortmund must start.
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‘Sancho has come into a bit of form and he has got to stay in the team,’ Ferdinand said.
‘With Sancho, he’s shown glimpses now but he’s still got a long way to go to convince everybody he’s a fully-fledged Man United player. Everyone expects him to be just a dribbler but he has got an intelligence to the way he plays.
‘If he can get people to bounce off and run, that’s where he can hurt Kyle Walker. He’s not going to beat him in a foot race but if he can get bodies around him and play one twos and play balls through for runners, he becomes a problem. But he needs the other part of the team to function for him to perform to his best.’
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Ferdinand insists someone must shut down Rodri in the City midfield.
