Rúben Amorim has been urged to start two Manchester United stars together for the very first time, although fans will have to wait.
Manchester United will get the Premier League weekend underway when they visit Brentford in West London on Saturday afternoon.
Rúben Amorim’s men sit 11th in the table with two wins, two defeats and a draw, their inconsistency leaving plenty of supporters concerned about where the season is heading.
The victories have come through Bruno Fernandes’ late penalty at Burnley and a 2-0 win over Chelsea, a match swung in United’s favour after Robert Sánchez was dismissed.
That result against Enzo Maresca’s side offers Amorim the chance to finally secure successive league victories for the first time in his reign – a milestone that could mark the beginning of a much-needed run of form.
Amorim urged to start Mainoo and Casemiro
Casemiro’s future at United has been up for debate for the last few years, with bouts of brilliant form littered in between poor mistakes and rash decisions.
However, former United winger Lee Sharpe has explained that he feels the Brazilian is still a “top-class player” who should be starting for the Reds and playing alongside Kobbie Mainoo.
“I think Casemiro improved a lot at the end of last season,” Sharpe said. “He got fitter or changed something didn’t he? He looked a different player to the end of last season to what he did at the start.”
“He’s still a top-class player. He sees things early, breaks things up really well. I think he would be a good player to play alongside Kobbie, but I do think they need someone else in there to help him. Whether it’s a centre-half who has to come in, or a full-back who comes in or one of the 10s that drops in.
“I think Casemiro and Kobbie would be a good pairing but you can’t play a two against three or like City who played a tight four. They just get outnumbered and bypassed so easily.
“I think Casemiro is the holding player who’ll allow Kobbie to advance and do more in the final third. It would be a great pairing. It’s just where you fit in Bruno Fernandes in all of that. I would probably pick Casemiro over Ugarte.”
Amorim will have to wait to play the duo
Mainoo and Casemiro have not started a game together so far this season, with the former yet to start in the Premier League this season. Meanwhile, Mainoo’s only start, coming in the Carabao Cup against Grimsby Town, saw Casemiro selected from the bench.
However, with the Brazilian continuing to make bizarre errors, he was sent off in the first half against Chelsea after picking up two yellow cards for two reckless challenges, which leaves him suspended for the Brentford clash.
While Mainoo could start against Brentford, it remains to be seen if Amorim will have the nerve to play both him and Fernandes in the middle of the park with Matheus Cunha, Benjamin Šeško, and Bryan Mbeumo up front, as that may make his defence vulnerable.
The next time Amorim will have the chance to play Casemiro and Mainoo together would be against Sunderland the following weekend, just before the international break.
Lee Sharpe was speaking to AceOdds.
Make sure to follow UtdDistrict on X, Instagram, Facebook, YouTube, and TikTok to never miss out on any of our Manchester United content. Our podcast, What the Devil?, is streamed live every Thursday at 12:30 pm (BST) on the United View YouTube channel.