More important than Bruno Fernandes? Casemiro gets Man Utd ‘talisman' billing

• South American signed from Real Madrid
• Has made an immediate impact
• Will miss Gunners game through suspension

WHAT HAPPENED? The 30-year-old midfielder, who won five Champions League crowns at Real Madrid, linked up with United towards the end of the summer transfer window when he completed a £60 million ($74m) move to England. Casemiro’s pedigree was never in doubt, but he could be considered to have exceeded expectations after slotting seamlessly into a squad that was struggling for consistency prior to his big-money arrival.

WHAT THEY SAID: Former United defender Brown has told Marriott Bonvoy – the Red Devils’ official hotel loyalty partner – of the impact the combative but classy South American has made in Manchester: “Casemiro has brought vision. Complete vision. And the players have begun to realise that and they can see the passes he is making. The wide players now are making runs and they know he’s more than capable of reaching them. [Christian] Eriksen is the same, with his little one-twos. Everything is quicker and better. Casemiro doesn’t wait, he just plays it and if he can do so first time, he will. There are times when he’s off balance but he’s still trying to get these balls through. It’s something we have missed.

“Bruno has done this over the past couple of years but now teams are unsure who to pick up. They can’t just target Bruno; they have to look at Casemiro as well. You can see the class coming out of him, from his first touch and his control. He’s become the talisman for the team.”

THE BIGGER PICTURE: Casemiro is already up to 26 appearances for the Red Devils across all competitions, with two goals recorded along the way, and will be hoping to help them bring a six-year wait for major silverware to a close in 2023 as Erik ten Hag’s side remain in the hunt for Premier League, Carabao Cup, FA Cup and Europa League honours.

IN THREE PHOTOS:

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WHAT NEXT? United will have to cope without Casemiro’s reassuring presence in the heart of their midfield the next time they take to the field, with a costly yellow card picked up in a 1-1 draw at Crystal Palace meaning that the Brazilian must sit out Sunday’s trip to Premier League leaders Arsenal through suspension.