Manchester United midfielder Casemiro is in line for his first Premier League start at the weekend as Erik ten Hag’s side travel to Goodison Park.
Everton are unbeaten in their last 8 matches, whereas United waved goodbye to a four-game win streak after suffering a 6-3 defeat against Manchester City on Sunday.
Ten Hag came in for criticism for not starting Casemiro in the Manchester derby, but he explained why he hasn’t been playing after the match.
“On the day we signed him, we started to win and it’s about the team,” Ten Hag told reporters at the Etihad, as per the Daily Mail. “The team is doing really well, it’s not against Casemiro, it’s for, in this case, Scott McTominay, he performed great in the team and then we get a run.
“But I’m sure it will be important for us in the long and short-term, he will find himself in the team but it has to come in a natural way.”
According to the Telegraph, Ten Hag will call upon Casemiro for the trip to Everton and he will get a chance to prove himself in a United shirt.
The performance against City gives the manager a chance to play some of the players who have been sat on the bench or out injured in recent weeks.
I didn’t have any problem with Scott McTominay starting in the derby because he warrants his place in the side. United were on a winning run going into the game and Ten Hag was never going to switch from the formula that had been working for his side.
In hindsight, I think United would have benefited from having Casemiro on the pitch instead of one of the attack players, but we were still playing against the strongest team in the league.
Onwards and upwards.