With Bruno Fernandes suspended for this weekend's clash against Aston Villa - after the Portuguese star picked up his fifth Premier League booking of the season last week - Manchester United are likely to start both Casemiro and Fred against Aston Villa on Sunday afternoon.
Fernandes will serve a one-match suspension after being shown a yellow card in the important 1-0 win over West Ham, meaning the midfielder will be out for the game against Unai Emery's side. The 28-year-old has been impressive this term, despite scoring just two goals so far. He has played every minute for the Reds in the Premier League, and will be a big miss at the weekend.
Erik ten Hag, then, will be forced into making an unwanted change against Villa - but he certainly isn't short on options. Several players will be pushing to start in place of Fernandes, but Fred is expected to come in and start.
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Casemiro, who was used sparingly in his first few weeks at United following his summer switch, has started the last eight matches for Ten Hag's side and has been impressive at the base of midfield. The Brazilian's strong showings have limited Scott McTominay's game time in recent weeks, while Christian Eriksen has continued to show his class.
Meanwhile, Fred has started on just six occasions so far this term, but has looked sharp off the bench when he has been called upon - particularly against Tottenham when he scored for the Reds. While the 29-year-old certainly doesn't offer the same attacking output as Fernandes, his partnership with Casemiro could be key against Villa.
Fred and Casemiro have played alongside each other on 32 occasions for club and country, with the pair on the same winning side in 26 matches. The duo complement one another, and have drawn praise for Brazilian legends in recent months.
In September, Roberto Carlos named United's Fred and Casemiro as the Brazilian players he would have liked to play alongside - with the legendary defender giving the midfielders the ultimate compliment.
When asked which Brazilian players he would have liked to play alongside, Carlos told Football Daily: “Casemiro [and] Fred. They are players that have good [pitch] coverage and because I am very offensive. They are players that would cover well for me.”
Gilberto Silva seemed to agree with Carlos and added: “They could run for me and help me together.”
When Casemiro plays for the Reds, Fred has greater licence to get forward, knowing that he has the protection of a top-level defensive midfielder behind him. The latter has previously suggested that he believes he is a better player when paired alongside his fellow countryman.
"I’m very happy playing next to Casemiro. He’s a big player for the Brazilian team, we’ve already played a long time together in that team," said Fred.
"It’s very important being side by side with him and playing with him improves my football. A big player like Casemiro can play there and Scott McTominay is also a big player. They are both very important.
"I can’t say anything about Casemiro, everybody knows his qualities and how important he is for the team, and Scott is also a great player.
Fred is certainly not the only player that Casemiro has allowed to be more creative. Eriksen, for example, is afforded more time on the ball and arguably has less defensive responsibilities. Prior to his suspension, Fernandes was also being allowed to get forward more frequently, where he was able to impact the game from better positions.
Against Villa on Sunday, it will be down to Fred to get up and down the pitch, but he also has to ensure that he offers support to United's attacking players - much like Fernandes had been doing in recent weeks. While it has not been the start to the season that he would have been hoping for, he will have the chance to shine - and he will know that Casemiro is alongside him.
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