Man Utd have a “monster” £65k-p/w replacement

Manchester United haven’t exactly endured the best of starts to the 2023/24 campaign as Erik ten Hag has struggled to build on an impressive end to last season.

Having secured Champions League qualification with a third-place finish in the Premier League, United have proceeded to lose their opening two matches in the competition, while their domestic form hasn’t been much better.

Ten Hag has led his side to just four wins across eight league matches and if he thought things couldn’t get much worse, the Dutchman may be without one of his most consistent players due to a potential injury – Casemiro.

Is Casemiro injured?

The midfielder was part of the Brazil squad for their recent World Cup qualifiers against Venezuela and Uruguay, yet he had to come off towards the end of the 1-1 draw against the former due to suffering a sprained ankle.

According to Brazilian outlet Globo Esporte however, the 31-year-old hasn’t trained with the national side ahead of the clash against the Uruguayans in the early hours of Wednesday morning and is a doubt for the game.

With Ten Hag already missing Luke Shaw, Aaron Wan-Bissaka and Lisandro Martinez to injury, it appears as though his problems are continuing to mount, and it remains to be seen whether Casemiro will be fit for the match against Sheffield United on Saturday evening.

Who could replace Casemiro at Man Utd?

If he is out for an extended period of time, the Dutchman has the ideal replacement in summer signing Sofyan Amrabat, who could impress in the heart of the midfield.

The Moroccan was a long-time transfer target for the Old Trafford side and joined on deadline day for a season-long loan deal which has an option to buy for £21.4m.

The midfielder has been deputising at left-back due to the injuries to Shaw and Tyrell Malacia and has performed well in a role which he is unfamiliar with.

His performances in the league have been impressive from this unorthodox position, making one key pass per game while also averaging two tackles and recovering 4.7 balls per game, showcasing his strengths across different metrics.

With Casemiro potentially injured, however, Amrabat can slot into his most comfortable position – defensive midfield – to great effect in the coming weeks.

When compared to positional peers, the 27-year-old ranks in the top 11% for passes attempted per 90 (69.29), top 12% for pass completion percentage per 90 (88.1%) and the top 14% for progressive passes per 90 (7.12), indicating that he is among one of the finest on the continent for his passing ability and this will be integral in that deep-lying role if Ten Hag needed to deploy him in midfield.

The £65k-per-week maestro also enjoyed a wonderful World Cup as he led Morocco to the semi-finals, becoming the first African nation to reach this stage in the history of the competition.

He had a major impact and journalist Carlo Garganese lauded him, saying: “Amrabat the best centre midfielder in the tournament. MONSTER.”

If he can replicate the sort of form he displayed in Qatar for United over the coming weeks, he will offer a steady presence in the heart of the pitch, becoming a perfect replacement for Casemiro in the process.