You could hear the collective gasp at Selhurst Park when Casemiro lunged into a late challenge on Crystal Palace dangerman Wilfried Zaha. Manchester United supporters were in fine voice throughout their trip to South London for what was a hastily rearranged midweek Premier League match.
But for one moment, perhaps two, they were stunned into silence. They knew what was coming.
Casemiro had, once again, patrolled the engine room with ease and United appeared to be heading to their 10th straight victory in all competitions, with an impending showdown with Arsenal delicately poised. But then - within 10 chaotic minutes - the balance was seemingly tipped in favour of the table-topping Gunners.
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Zaha brushed off the mud and rubbed his hands over the stud marks left by Casemiro from a crunching tackle that has been a hallmark of his game for more than a decade. However, for once, the Brazil powerhouse who has added so much in his short time at Old Trafford had let United down.
Worse was to come a few minutes later as Michael Olise fired an unstoppable free-kick beyond David de Gea into the top corner. Only a special strike was going to beat the Spaniard amid another inspired performance.
It ripped up the script for Erik ten Hag with Arsenal on the horizon. But as the Dutchman shook his head in the dugout, between Casemiro being cautioned and Olise pegging his in-form team back, he did not have to go all that far back in his memory to conjure up a solution.
While the games continue to come thick and fast for United, especially after the Palace rearrangement, there was little time for Ten Hag and his players to celebrate their memorable win in the Manchester derby. But the "wildcard" teamsheet from Saturday lunchtime is ready to be copy and pasted.
Well, almost, minus the glaring Casemiro omission.
United have beaten this fantastic Arsenal team before and remain the only side to have done so this season, with a victory back in September inspired by two goals from Marcus Rashford, and how they could do with a couple more from him this coming matchday. As pretty much everyone has pointed out, too, Casemiro only came on for a cameo towards the end at Old Trafford with three early-season points already in the bag.
On that occasion, it was Scott McTominay and Christian Eriksen who gave United the platform for their win as the double pivot, while Fred performed so admirably alongside Casemiro against City seven days ago. You imagine the action-plan for this game could sit somewhere in the middle.
McTominay and Fred do not have the capacity to replace Casemiro directly but, in tandem, their work ethic can be deployed to useful effect here, so long as they have the guile of Eriksen to complement them. On that basis, though, something would have to give in attacking quarters - and it will not be Rashford or Bruno Fernandes.
Portugal sensation Fernandes, however, does offer that wildcard solution. It was his "hybrid" role against City which created "confusion" for United while allowing them to be resolute in defence.
It might be that Ten Hag was considering this option anyway, but without Casemiro there is little alternative but to reunite McTominay and Fred. It would ensure defensive stability, while Eriksen and Casemiro can be trusted to track back more than Antony, say, offering as much if not more than him going forward.
Casemiro has quickly become irreplaceable in this United side. Ultimately, though, recent history shows his absence does not have to be the determining factor on Sunday afternoon.
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