Manchester United: Why is Casemiro often substituted after 60 minutes?

“Casimiro is often substituted after 60 minutes. Is this to protect him from injury or is it a tactical matter? He seems confused about the substitution, because he has more influence on the match than others.”

This was a question that was sent to us “Ask about Manchester United” form.

There are two elements to this – and we’ll only find out if the latter is true over the next three games.

Firstly, Ruben Amorim realizes that Casemiro is 33 years old and his minutes need to be managed. He has repeatedly used the former Real Madrid player as an example of how players can change their minds about them through their performances, pointing out that even Toby Collier was ahead of him at some point last season.

Before the Newcastle game, he said that Casemiro is an example for all the team’s players in terms of how to prepare for matches and how to deal mentally and physically with the demands they face. This indicates that Amorim still views Casemiro as a main character.

So, the second aspect is this. After the Newcastle game, Amorim dismissed suggestions he had taken Casemiro off to ensure he was fit for the Wolves clash, stating he was just dealing with what he had in front of him.

However, with seven senior players missing and Mason Mount a doubt, United cannot afford to risk losing more.

Casemiro may have been surprised by the exit against Newcastle, but the surprise would be much greater if he did not start against Wolverhampton, Leeds or Burnley after that.

No matter how you look at it, those three games are winnable and could be the difference between United qualifying for the Champions League or not.

I strongly suspect there was an element of trying to keep Casemiro energized for what lies ahead, even if it weakens Amorim’s team at the moment.

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