Manchester United head coach Michael Carrick confirmed after the goalless Premier League draw at Sunderland that Casemiro will be ‘fine’ for next week’s home meeting with Nottingham Forest.
A positive for United fans as they get a chance to bid a proper farewell to the Brazilian midfielder, whose influence during his four years at Old Trafford has been immense.
To underline, they have not won any of the four league games this season when the 34-year-old has been absent from their starting line-up.
At least they got a point at Sunderland.
After winning the previous three meetings, they were very much second best to Regis le Bris’ side and it was easy to empathise with the Black Cats boss when he expressed disappointment at his team’s failure to pick up all three points.
Faced with Casemiro’s absence, and with the obvious deputy Manuel Ugarte also missing – few at United think the Uruguay midfielder is the permanent answer to filling the void anyway – Carrick had a couple of options.
He could either drop Kobbie Mainoo back into the number six role and use skipper Bruno Fernandes or Mason Mount as an eight, or he could give 19-year-old Tyler Fletcher his first senior start and leave Mainoo in the more advanced position in which he has been so effective since his recall to the starting line-up following Ruben Amorim’s departure.
The reality was there was no choice really.
It had to be Mainoo and Mount, especially as Fernandes is still chasing the assist that would allow him to match Thierry Henry and Kevin de Bruyne on 20 as the best return ever in a single Premier League campaign.
The outcome was a United performance that didn’t produce a single shot on target until Matheus Cunha’s effort was saved by Sunderland goalkeeper Robin Roefs in stoppage time.
The hosts had more possession, more shots and their expected goals (xG) was higher. Le Bris said his side had ‘more control’.