Manchester United will be without the suspended Casemiro on Sunday when they travel to Aston Villa in the Premier League and Ruben Amorim must make changes with other stars unavailable too
Casemiro was picked up a one-game suspension after being booked in Manchester United’s draw with Bournemouth(Image: Robbie Jay Barratt – AMA/Getty Images)
Manchester United’s starting line-up vs Aston Villa on Sunday will be a lot different to the side which drew 4-4 with Bournemouth on Monday night. Noussair Mazraoui was already missing from that team as he linked up with his Morocco teammates ahead of the Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON).
However, he will be joined on the absentee list by Amad and Bryan Mbeumo. They were given special allowance by their national teams to play against the Cherries but will not be available for selection when the team travel to Villa on Sunday. But if that was not enough for Ruben Amorim, there is another matter to contend with.
United shall also be without the services of Casemiro in the West Midlands this weekend. The Brazilian picked up his fifth booking of the campaign, not including the two he received against Chelsea, on Monday night and will therefore be suspended for one game.
His absence leaves a hole in the midfield which will need to be plugged by the Reds. With this in mind, MEN Sport has taken a look at three ways United could choose to line-up in the absence of Casemiro.
Straight swap
United could simply decide to make a straight swap with Casemiro dropping out for Manuel Ugarte. Many predicted the Uruguayan would have a bigger role at Old Trafford once Amorim arrived considering their history together at Sporting.
Instead, Ugarte has failed to push on and has dropped behind Casemiro in the pecking order. This would have been inconceivable at one stage considering the Brazilian was so far off the pace in the Premier League last season.
But in 2025/26, Casemiro remains the best option in defensive midfielder and there is little chance his suspension will damage his chances of returning to the Boxing Day squad vs Newcastle.
First option available to Ruben Amorim vs Aston VillaNarrow 4-3-3 and Mainoo return
There is a lot of talk about whether United are ready to play with four at the back considering the number of absentees – especially against Villa. One option available to Amorim is to return to a 4-3-3 formation which the Reds, and this group of players, have used previously.
Amorim has stated Kobbie Mainoo could feature more in such a system. Should this be the case, Amorim could kill two birds with one stone and ease the tension surrounding the academy graduate’s playing time this season while also finding a way around the Casemiro headache.
Without Casemiro, there would still be a place for Ugarte in this formation and both he and Mainoo would benefit from three players in that midfield.
The second option for Manchester United without CasemiroWildcard option
The wildcard option for United would depend entirely on whether or not Amorim is ready to change his mind entirely. Lisandro Martinez has played as a defensive midfielder before – for Ajax when Erik ten Hag was struggling for numbers in that position.
Amorim stated recently he did not see Martinez as a midfielder as he is not taking on that workload currently. Since his long-term injury, the Argentine has been focusing on being a defender but if Ugarte is not seen as a viable option, Martinez could be utilised there.
He could play as the anchor just ahead of the centre-backs which would once again allow Mainoo an opportunity to impress. However, it seems obvious this is a long shot considering Amorim’s recent comments on Martinez.
The final option available to Manchester United against Aston Villa this weekend