Casemiro to Miss Manchester United’s Next Two Games After Injury
Manchester United have confirmed that midfielder Casemiro will miss their upcoming Premier League clash at Sheffield United on Saturday after picking up an injury while on international duty.
The 31-year-old has remained in Brazil for treatment and will also be unavailable for their Champions League match against Copenhagen on Tuesday due to suspension.
United said in a statement: ‘Casemiro was absent [from training on Thursday], having remained in Brazil, on the club’s advice, to recover as swiftly as possible from a small issue picked up while playing for his country. He will be unavailable for Saturday’s game with the Blades but is expected back at Carrington early next week to resume training.’
Casemiro Doing Too Much?
Former United star Louis Saha recently suggested that the club are asking too much of Casemiro this season. He said: ‘At the moment he’s doing an awful lot and almost playing like a number ten. I’m concerned by the link between the players. He’s trying to create for his side and play more passes than some of Manchester United’s players that are in more advanced positions up the pitch. Why’s this the case? This isn’t his main role. He’s being asked to do too many things at the moment and it’s a key indicator that the right balance isn’t there at present. Casemiro isn’t a number ten, but he now seems more advanced up the pitch than I’ve ever seen him before.’
Sir Jim Ratcliffe Singles Out Casemiro Signing as Mistake
Sir Jim Ratcliffe recently singled out Casemiro as an example of Manchester United’s flawed transfer policy. He said: ‘It was a mistake to sign Casemiro. He was never going to be the answer to our midfield problems. He was a stopgap signing and it was always going to be difficult for him to make an impact in the Premier League. He was never going to be the long-term solution.’
Rene Meulensteen Believes Casemiro Can’t Handle Erik Ten Hag’s Style of Play
Rene Meulensteen believes Casemiro ‘can’t handle’ Erik ten Hag’s style of play. He said: ‘Casemiro is a great player but he is not suited to this system. He is not used to playing in a system where he has to press and move the ball quickly. He can’t handle it and it’s showing in his performances. He needs to adapt or he will struggle to make an impact at Manchester United.’
Casemiro will now be hoping to make his return in the Manchester derby on October 29 as United host Pep Guardiola’s side at Old Trafford.