Bruno Fernandes kept a close eye on Jadon Sancho’s debut for Chelsea and sent him a special message after his match-winning assist

Bruno Fernandes has given his support to Jadon Sancho after the winger made a remarkable debut for Chelsea in their win over Bournemouth on Saturday evening.

The Manchester United loanee made his debut for the Londoners after stepping off the bench at half-time to provide the assist for Christopher Nkunku’s 86th-minute winner. The winger replaced Pedro Neto and caused trouble for the Cherries, which earned him the Player of the Match award.

It was his first Premier League appearance since the 3-2 win over Nottingham Forest in August 2023. Speaking after the game, Chelsea boss Enzo Maresca said: “I have a feeling that Jadon is a guy that needs love. This is what I think when I spoke with him before he join us. Also, I know he has the desire to show the player he is, but for me, it is just to enjoy football.

“This is the reason why they play. They are happy and want to play football, they want to enjoy football and then because they are good, they are going to do good things.”

Sancho himself was also grateful for the opportunity. “I’ve been working hard for this moment and I’m just happy that I got my chance,” he said. “I had a great end to last season being in the Champions League final. I’m just happy to make my debut for Chelsea. I have to thank all the staff and my team-mates. The first day I came in, they made me feel welcome and I’m so happy to feel this comfortable.”

Taking to Instagram after the game, Sancho shared a picture of him celebrating the goal with Nkunku and wrote: “Delighted to make my Chelsea debut and to top it off with a win!” A number of Chelsea players and the United captain were among the comments.

“Some player you [fire emoji]. Keep that smile,” Fernandes wrote.

Sancho joined Chelsea on loan on transfer deadline day and the Blues have the obligation to make Sancho’s loan move permanent next season for between £20-£25million. While Sancho has clearly been deemed surplus to requirements at Old Trafford, it’s clear Fernandes still rates him as a player.