Manchester United have suffered a huge blow ahead of their trip to Arsenal at the weekend. Erik ten Hag's side drew level on points with Manchester City following their 1-1 draw with Crystal Palace on Wednesday, with Michael Olise's fantastic free-kick preventing the Red Devils from claiming all three points.
A huge talking point during the game came in the 79th minute, when Man United midfielder Casemiro was booked for a cynical challenge on Wilfried Zaha. This was the Brazilian's fifth yellow card of the season, meaning he misses the clash against Arsenal due to the totting up of yellow cards.
Casemiro has been hugely influential for Man United since his summer move from Real Madrid, gaining a reputation for not only breaking up play but also starting attacks with passes between the lines. However, he will miss the clash against Arsenal on Sunday and ten Hag will have to look within for a replacement.
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Speaking after the match at Selhurst Park, Sky Sports pundit Jamie Redknapp insisted the Dutchman has two players who can replace Casemiro. The former Liverpool star said: "I said before the game it would be difficult for Manchester United to not have him at the weekend, they will have to bring in Fred or [Scott] McTominay and when you look at Arsenal’s midfield, it is functioning so well and I can only see it benefitting Arsenal in a huge way.
"They have got so much confidence now and it makes them red-hot favourites. He is not just an important player for Manchester United but he is one of the most important players in the Premier League.
"Certain teams function so well when they have certain individuals and that is what he offers them. For Arsenal, it was exactly what they wanted to see today."
Redknapp added that Arteta would have been "dancing around his living room" following Casemiro's booking.
"We spoke before the game about Casemiro and the importance of not getting a yellow card because they need him on Sunday. He gets booked in the 80th minute and it’s as if from that moment, it took the steam out of Manchester United," the pundit said.
"It affected them so much and it’s as if they knew that their talisman in that midfield role is gone, it’s a bit of a moment of madness. He is furious with his team-mate Bruno Fernandes for getting out of the way of the challenge. I bet when Mikel Arteta saw that, he was dancing around his living room because it is so important. They have no one that can do that in their team."
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