Manchester United have endured a poor start to the 2023/24 campaign and one of their key men has now been slammed by pundit Gabby Agbonlahor for his performances.
Man Utd injury updates
Injury problems have dogged the Red Devils this campaign and Erik ten Hag has undoubtedly been restricted in his ability to field a full-strength lineup at times this campaign, which has come to the detriment of his side's form both domestically and in the Champions League.
Manchester United's list of injuries has provided a reality check with regards to their squad depth, as Amad Diallo, Tyrell Malacia, Luke Shaw and Aaron Wan-Bissaka missed out on derby day against Manchester City, where the Red Devils tumbled to defeat against a far superior opponent.
Raphael Varane could only make the bench for the tie, while Brazil international Casemiro lost his battle with fitness for the tie and subsequently didn't feature due to an ankle injury picked up on international duty with his native country.
At the time, Brazil boss Diniz didn't seem to be too fazed by the severity of Casemiro's injury, which has since ruled him out for several of Manchester United's fixtures, as he said: "As there was a stop (in play), I decided to make the three substitutions. We had a lot of control when they came on. Casemiro asked to come off due to a blow to his ankle."
Nevertheless, Casemiro hasn't enjoyed the best of times in a Manchester United jersey this term, recording an average match rating of just 6.79/10 for his performances in the Premier League, as per WhoScored. Now, Casemiro has been made to feel the wrath of pundit Agbonlahor, who has delivered a brutally honest verdict on his recent run of form.
Gabby Agbonlahor slams Casemiro
Speaking in an interview with Football Insider, Agbonlahor indicated that Casemiro should've never been brought to Old Trafford in the first place. The 37-year-old stated:
"I don’t think his bad form is a blip. The Premier League can catch up on players very quickly. It’s just like Fabinho. He can’t run any more, and he got found out. Clubs will target you. If you’ve got legs, you’re going to have a field day against Casemiro. He’s getting targeted. His legs have gone, he’s giving the ball away, he can’t get back, he’s getting spun."
Casemiro stats for Man Utd (Transfermarkt)
Appearances
62
Goals
11
Assists
7
"Real Madrid don’t sell players they want. It’s not his fault. It’s the fault of whoever paid big money to bring him in on a four-year contract. They couldn’t believe it when the bid came in. He’s had an amazing career, but the Premier League catches up with you."
Regardless of criticism towards Casemiro and other under-fire Manchester United players, Red Devils boss Ten Hag will be desperate to welcome the Brazilian back into the fold before too long as he aims to turn around his side's fortunes, especially following the 3-0 defeat to rivals Manchester City on Sunday.