by Manchester United will be without key midfielder Casemiro in their next four home games following the Brazilian’s second red card in three league games.
The former Real Madrid star was sent off in Sunday’s goalless draw with Southampton and here the PA news agency takes a look at his disciplinary record and how United have fared with and without him this season.
Casemiro’s card count
After earning no bookings in his first nine games for United and just three in his first 24 games, Casemiro has picked up six consecutive yellow cards and two red cards in his last 13 games.
He was booked in January’s back-to-back league games against Manchester City and Crystal Palace, then in February’s Carabao Cup semi-final second leg against Nottingham Forest and in the final against Newcastle, and in both Europa League games against Barcelona.
His sacking in the second leg with Palace last month came in the middle of that sequence, before another followed on Sunday.
It was the first consecutive red cards in Casemiro’s 600+ senior games, although he received two second yellow cards for Real – against Barca in 2021 and against Real Valladolid in 2019, meaning he already has that many layoffs for United like in nine years at Real – and in 2012 for Sao Paulo against Mogi Mirim.
He has been cautioned 144 times in his club career – 92 for Real, 27 for Sao Paulo, 16 times on loan for Porto and nine for United – a further 21 for Brazil.
What will United miss?
As one would logically expect from these numbers, Casemiro’s main influence is on the defensive side of United’s game.
They have barely conceded a goal in the Premier League with him in the starting XI, 16 in 15 games for a 1.07 average. That jumps to 19 in 11 games, 1.72 a game if he wasn’t named in the XI – which includes games in which he came on as a substitute. In total they have conceded 15 goals with him on the field and 20 without.
The number of shots fired against them reflects this split, averaging 10.2 per game with Casemiro in the starting XI and 16.2 without him.
United’s win rate and points per game both increase slightly with Casemiro to 60 per cent and 2.07 per game compared to 54.5 per cent and 1.73 in games without him.
They’re also making marginally more shots per game but scoring fewer goals — 21 in his 15 starts, a 1.4 average, but 20 in 11, or 1.8 per game when he’s not starting. Casemiro himself has two league goals and three assists, plus twice in the FA Cup win against Reading and once in the League Cup final.
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v Fulham (H), FA Cup, 19 March
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v Newcastle (A), Premier League, 2 April
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v Brentford (H), Premier League, 5 April
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v Everton (H), Premier League, 8 April
It is worth noting that during his previous suspension United took seven points from their three league games, twice against Leeds and then Leicester, before returning to the line-up for the 7-0 defeat by Liverpool and leaving his side shorthanded against the Saints .
He will miss games against Fulham in the FA Cup and Newcastle, Brentford and Everton in the league. Casemiro was previously involved in victories over the Toffees – 2-1 in the league and 3-1 in the FA Cup – and Fulham, as well as a draw against Newcastle, while the Bees’ 4-0 smash last season came before he signed had .
