Manchester United manager Erik ten Hag will drop top Man United midfielder from the starting lineup in the FA Cup final against Manchester City.
The Dutchman, who has been under pressure following United’s dismal 2023/24 Premier League campaign, will score a big point on his chances in the United dugout if he beats Manchester City to the FA Cup trophy.
It will be the second time he will lead United against City of in the oldest football competition in England after losing the 2023 final to the dominant cross-city rivals at the same venue.
Ahead of the game, the 54-year-old is not ready to take chances with unnecessary fill-ins in his lineup, hence his 2023 £60m-signing from Real Madrid, Casemiro, could be axed out, as per reports.
According to The Mail, the under-pressure gaffer has already offered inkling to his tactical tweak and change of lineup in his training sessions.
Instead of using Casemiro in the defensive midfield role, he has reportedly opted for Fiorentina loanee Sofyan Amrabat, who seemed to have won his admiration recently.
Futballnews understands the expected change in the United lineup against City, which could see Casemiro frozen out, is also linked to the player’s unimpressive shift in the defence role in the last six matches.
Recall ten Hag had opted to use Casemiro to plug the holes left in United’s defence due to piling injuries to defenders, and it was an awful shift for the Real Madrid legend.
The nadir was when United collapsed to a heavy 4-0 defeat to Crystal Palace at Selhurst Park. Ten Hag is not expected to take such chances ahead of the Man City clash, thanks to the return of Lisandro Martinez and Raphael Varane to take their position in the center-back roles.
With Varane and Martinez back, one would have expected Casemiro to return to his traditional midfield role but Sofyan Amrabat has reportedly emerged as a preferred option, as per The Mail.
