Erik ten Hag believes Casemiro is ready to force his way into Manchester United's strongest team after handing the Brazilian his second start for the club against Omonia Nicosia.
The 30-year-old has had a slow start to life at Old Trafford after a £70million move from Real Madrid, with Scott McTominay starting five Premier League games ahead of him.
But Casemiro starts in the Europa League in Cyprus tonight in what is a strong side and Ten Hag insists he is now up to speed from a fitness point of view and accustomed to United's style of play.
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“I start every game with the strongest team, for this game we chose this one," he told MUTV.
"Casemiro came in, then we start to win, at the start he had some fitness problems, but now he played many games, he had a good training session, he knows how we play, I know he will step up and he will find himself in the team."
Ten Hag has made three changes in total from the side beaten 6-3 at the Etihad on Sunday. Victor Lindelof is in for the injured Raphael Varane, while Cristiano Ronaldo also starts in place of Marcus Rashford.
That means David de Gea makes his 10th consecutive start this season, with Tom Heaton and Martin Dubravka both on the substitutes bench.
“Because we play the strongest team," Ten Hag said of that selection. "De Gea is our No. 1, I'm happy with the two others, we know they’re good, the moment David is not good, or injured, or suspended, we have good back-up, but David is our No. 1."
Ten Hag can make five changes during the game tonight but United need a win to continue their recovery from losing their first Europa League game of the season against Real Sociedad at Old Trafford.
The Dutchman is hoping his side can make a fast start to allow him to make changes as the game progresses.
“It’s always the goal, but the game takes 90 minutes, we have to be ruthless but first we have to create, we have to deliver the right intensity, when you do that you bring some teams problems, that’s our aim and we gave to do that from the start," he said.
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