Aheed Abrar
Raphael Varane feels Manchester United need to find different balance without Casemiro
Manchester United defender Raphael Varane feels the Red Devils will need to find a different balance without Casemiro, who has been suspended after picking up a red card.
In our last match against Southampton, the Brazil international was sent off for a challenge on Carlos Alcaraz at around the half-hour mark. In the end, the game at Old Trafford on Sunday (12 March) ended in a 0-0 draw.
It marked the 31-year-old’s second direct red card of the season in the Premier League. Previously, the midfielder was given his marching orders after a scuffle in the Crystal Palace fixture.
Now, Casemiro is set to miss the next four matches in domestic competitions for United. The Brazilian will miss the FA Cup quarter-final versus Fulham and the Newcastle United, Brentford and Everton league matches.
The 31-year-old has been a pivotal player for Erik ten Hag since his move from Real Madrid in the summer of 2022. Over the last few months, the defensive midfielder has evidently solidified our engine room.
Speaking to the media via Manchester Evening News, Varane reiterated Casemiro’s influence in the team. However, the 29-year-old French national believes United will be able to cope without the Brazilian.
“He’s a player who’s very important for us. He brings balance to the team and to the squad. But we have a great squad and we have to find another balance without him, but we have good players in every position on the pitch and we’re ready for the next games.”
At the moment, Erik ten Hag has been without another important midfielder in Christian Eriksen for some time now. The Denmark international has been on the sidelines since the game against Reading in the FA Cup in January.
Subsequently, United signed Marcel Sabitzer on loan from Bayern Munich on deadline day. However, the Austria international has also missed the 0-0 draw versus Southampton.
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The Red Devils have Fred and Scott McTominay available. However, the duo did not have the best of times when they were paired up by the gaffer at the start of the season. It remains to be seen how the Dutch manager sets the team up without Casemiro in the coming weeks.
