Fred and Casemiro played alongside each other in Brazil's 5-1 rout of Tunisia on Tuesday night, potentially showing Manchester United boss Erik ten Hag what they could offer upon the return of the Premier League. Loanee Alex Telles also started as Brazil flexed their muscles ahead of the World Cup.
Casemiro was defensively secure but also showed his ability to impact the game going forward. He assisted Raphinha for Brazil's opener and then won a penalty which Neymar converted.
Fred has struggled for game time so far this season but he reminded Ten Hag what he can offer. The Brazil midfielder provided energy and moved the ball well. It is unlikely he'll replace Christian Eriksen any time soon, but with a packed calendar in October, rotation will be key.
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Elsewhere, United defender Victor Lindelof captained Sweden to a 1-1 draw with Slovenia. A win would have seen his side avoid relegation from their Nations League group, but there was nothing he could have done about Benjamin Sesko's stunning volley to open the scoring.
United teammates Bruno Fernandes and Cristiano Ronaldo did not fare much better, losing 1-0 to Spain after Alvaro Morata scored an 88th-minute winner.
Many United fans who watched the game commented on how Ronaldo looked off the pace. With the fitness of Anthony Martial and Marcus Rashford in question ahead of the Manchester derby, it would be problematic if the team's one remaining striker wasn't at his best this Sunday.
Despite Diogo Dalot's heroics in Portugal's game against the Czech Republic last week, the loss to Spain means that Portugal will not progress to the Nations League finals.
Overall, it wasn't a night to remember for a lot of the United players who were in action, but with a packed October on the horizon, there is no time to dwell on international issues. United face local rivals Manchester City this weekend before a Europa League clash with Omonia Nicosia.
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