EPL 2022-23, Southampton vs Man United: Will Casemiro make his debut for Red Devils?
After defeating Liverpool 2-1 at Old Trafford, Manchester United will look to continue their good form when they travel to Southampton this weekend. It will be interesting to see if new recruit Casemiro features in Erik ten Hag's squad for the Premier League clash.
Manchester United fans will be overjoyed to learn that former Real Madrid icon and new recruit Casemiro's application for a work permit in England has been accepted, paving the way for the Brazilian to make his debut in the weekend's away clash against Southampton.
In a tweet, DeadlineDayLive said, "Casemiro has finally received his work permit, and today he will train for the first time with the Manchester United squad. He will be available to play against Southampton."
Casemiro might feature in the playing XI, perhaps forming a familiar relationship with his Brazilian teammate Fred. The United new boy claims that the two share a 'special relationship' and manager Erik ten Hag would want to see them create magic in the midfield. The two reportedly discussed the possibility of bringing their national successes to the club level before Casemiro committed to the team.
Fans will be thrilled to see the five-time Champions League winner line up for United for the first time on Saturday, regardless of who joins him at the centre of the Red Devils team.
Casemiro, who completed a reported 70 million euros transfer from the Los Blancos, is known to thrive on stopping his opponents in their tracks as opposed to igniting his own side's attacks.
If the Brazilian, a frequent winner domestically in Spain and in the Champions League, gets off to a fast start and helps United turn around their poor start, you have a feeling United will say this was always the plan.
If United continue their poor performance, despite sealing a 2-1 win against Liverpool at Old Trafford while Casemiro watched from the stands, questions about whether the Red Devils purchased the incorrect type of defensive midfielder will persist.
However, as familiar as Frenkie de Jong would have been to Ten Hag, one cannot deny that the 30-year-old icon is more of what United needs now, given they have conceded six goals in two games against Brighton and Brentford.