Manchester United star Casemiro axed from Brazil squad for Copa America
Manchester United star Casemiro has been warned by Brazilian boss Dorival Júnior that his international career might be all but over. This comes after the veteran was dropped from the provisional Selecao squad for this summer’s Copa America.
The 32-year-old has struggled at Old Trafford this season and is a shadow of the destroyer that we grew to admire while at Real Madrid. A forgettable season at the club level has now translated onto the international stage.
Dorival has named a provisional 23 man squad for the summer tournament. Despite there being space for three more players, Casemiro appears to be past the expiration date.
According to The Mirror, the Samba boss revealed that he had already indicated to Casemiro of his expectations three months ago. Given that the 32-year-old has now been left out, it would appear that the veteran has fallen short of meeting it. Casemiro is also a veteran of the 2019 squad that won the competition for Brazil.
“Casemiro deserves respect from all of us. Three months ago, I told him what I expected of him. He knows very well what I think of him. I will contact him tomorrow and explain what the future may hold.”
While the United ace certainly deserves respect, it is no secret that he is out of sorts at the moment. He will now face a nervy wait to see what plans Dorival has for him going forward. Time will tell whether Casemiro will add to his 75 caps in Yellow for the South American behemoths.
Speaking further Dorival admits that it might be time for the younger generation of Brazilians to step up. Both Casemiro and Thiago Silva have served their nation with distinction but the time might now be rife for them to pass the torch.
“Not calling (those players) up is just down to what we believe is best at this moment. Even though we have young players, the majority of them are playing at the highest level, in big competitions.”
Another United star, Antony also had no spot in the squad but former Red Devils star Andreas Pereira made the cut. The other midfielders included are Bruno Guimaraes, Douglas Luiz, Joao Gomez and Lucas Paqueta.
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Given that the Brazilian squad has been chosen on the basis of current form, Casemiro can have no complaint about his exclusion. He now faces a pivotal summer of rest and recuperation as he plots the next steps in what has been a legendary career in football.
