The veteran midfielder has been ruled out of the Brazil squad for their upcoming friendlies against England and Spain due to an injury.
Casemiro ruled out from Brazil squad
Casemiro was expected to participate in the upcoming international friendlies but the Brazilian Football Confederation has announced that the midfielder will not be available for selection.
“From a preliminary list of 50 names, 13 had already been ruled out by injury at their clubs,” Brazil boss Dorival Junior said.
“Unfortunately, we also lost Casemiro. Pepe, from Porto, a forward by origin and now a midfielder, has been called up.”
The five-time World Cup winner has dealt with a lot of fitness concerns in recent times. Arsenal’s Gabriel Martinelli, Man City’s Ederson and PSG defender Marquinhos are also absent following their respective injuries.
Also Read: Who will start for Liverpool against Man United this weekend?
Will Casemiro feature in Man United’s FA Cup clash against Liverpool?
The Brazilian Football Federation has not revealed the extent or the nature of the midfielder’s injury and some reports suggest that the ex-Real Madrid midfielder will not be available in the FA Cup clash against Liverpool on Sunday afternoon.
The 32-year-old has joined the likes of Lisandro Martinez, Luke Shaw and Tyrell Malacia in the treatment room. Earlier this season, Casemiro missed several weeks of action due to a hamstring injury.
The Brazilian has started only 21 games for the Red Devils this season as he missed almost three months of action due to a hamstring injury.
If he’s sidelined for an extended period after his recent knock, it could spell trouble for Man United manager Erik ten Hag who’s already dealing with several key injuries this season.
But the Dutchman would be happy to welcome Mason Mount who is expected to make his first appearance since November in the FA Cup tie against Liverpool.
The Red Devils will also be optimistic about the return of Rasmus Hojlund, Harry Maguire and Aaron Wan-Bissaka in the weekend squad.