Casemiro had made just two appearances and no starts since December before 15th-place United’s new selection crisis led to an unexpected recall for Sunday’s 1-0 defeat by Tottenham, their eighth loss in the last 12 league games, with Kobbie Mainoo, Manuel Ugarte, Christian Eriksen, Toby Collyer and Mason Mount all among the list of 12 absentees through either injury or illness.
Captain Bruno Fernandes was moved into a deeper role alongside Casemiro as a result of that dearth of midfield options, with United’s tactical set-up at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium receiving a scathing review from club legend Gary Neville during Sky Sports’ commentary.
The former Real Madrid stalwart has received intense criticism for his performances during another dismal Premier League season overall at Old Trafford, struggling under both Erik ten Hag and successor Ruben Amorim, who seems to have made it clear that he is not part of his plans moving forward.
Casemiro himself endured another disappointing individual performance in north London as he was booked and struggled to contain Spurs’ Lucas Bergvall, also misplacing several passes before being replaced in stoppage time by young striker Chido Obi.
Many fans felt he would likely have been substituted much earlier had it not been for a lack of senior replacements on a hugely inexperienced bench that included eight teenagers, none of whom had previously made a single first-team appearance for United.
