After receiving a straight red card for a careless challenge against Southampton on Sunday, Brazilian midfielder Casemiro will miss Manchester United’s next four games. After last weekend’s humiliation at the hands of Liverpool, the Red Devils entered the match hoping to get back to winning ways in the Premier League. But, they suffered a big setback just before halftime when Casemiro was sent off and they were down to 10 men.
Following a quick VAR review, referee Anthony Taylor decided to reverse his initial decision and dismiss Casemiro after the former Real Madrid star charged in studs-up on Southampton playmaker Carlos Alcaraz. As he trudged off the field, he appeared upset and needed some consolation from his United teammates before apologizing to Alcaraz for his vicious challenge.
A four-match suspension for Casemiro’s second red card of the year brings his total number of games missed since joining the Red Devils to nine. For United, who have largely relied on his expertise and tough-tackling presence in the middle of the park throughout the current season, his absence will be a crushing blow.
Furthermore, it means that United will be without two starting midfielders for the upcoming matches, with Christian Eriksen still sidelined due to a chronic ankle injury sustained against Reading in the FA Cup back in January.
After his challenge on Alcaraz versus Southampton, Casemiro genuinely appeared to have regained control, even though his foot continued to roll over the ball and into his opponent’s shin. Although he should have known better than to risk another punishment by making such an excessive lunge, one could argue that he was rather unlucky to have been expelled as a result of the challenge.
Erik ten Hag will need to find a stop-gap option before Casemiro returns from his impending four-match suspension, so it’s unclear how United will line up in midfield during the next few weeks. Fred might be forced back into the lineup after being benched for Southampton’s visit, and Scott McTominay could be selected to replace his suspended teammate in the starting lineup for United.
Former Aston Villa striker Gabriel Agbonlahor, who was dissatisfied when the Red Devils playmaker was sent off for a collision with Crystal Palace midfielder Will Hughes at the beginning of last month, recently lectured Casemiro about his on-field conduct at United.
Agbonlahor complained on talkSPORT that Hughes should have been arrested for the way he was being strangled. Youngsters are seeing Casemiro strangling an opponent on Match of the Day later on.
“This isn’t ice hockey in America, where fights break out in the middle of games. Manchester United must punish Casemiro because this is football and we don’t want to see it.