Ruben Amorim stands on a slightly smoky Old Trafford touchline.
Ruben Amorim's focus is on winning the Europa League. (Image: Oli Scarff/AFP via Getty Images.)
The night Manchester United made sure of their place in the Europa League knockout stages, Casemiro made his first appearance in exactly a month.
United booked their place in the last-16 with a 2-0 win over FCSB in Bucharest on January 30 and Casemiro stepped off the bench to replace Christian Eriksen with 18 minutes left on the clock.
United were already two goals up following strikes from Diogo Dalot and Kobbie Mainoo, meaning it felt as though Casemiro's introduction was nothing more than an opportunity for him to stretch his legs, having not played since the end of December.
In between the 2-0 defeat to Newcastle United on December 30 and the 2-0 win over FCSB at the end of January, United had played six times in three different competitions. Casemiro was an unused substitute on every occasion.
It sparked theories that his United career could be over before the end of the January transfer window. He was linked with clubs in Saudi Arabia and an exit seemed possible, with his performance against Newcastle ranking as one of his worst in United colours.
An extensive injury crisis meant he was recalled to the starting line-up for the first time since the Newcastle defeat when United lost 1-0 to Tottenham Hotspur in February. Unsurprisingly, he was off the pace and struggled to deal with the likes of Rodrigo Bentancur and James Maddison.
United were without Manuel Ugarte, Eriksen, Kobbie Mainoo and Mason Mount against Spurs. Had they been available, Casemiro probably wouldn't have featured for the sixth league game running.
Bruno Fernandes operated next to Casemiro in north London and it wasn't long before the Portugal international went on a terrific run of form.
Operating from a deeper position, the United skipper was allowed to dictate the game and scan the play with much of it in front of him. He also started to increase his attacking output.
Bruno Fernandes celebrates after scoring for Manchester United against Real Sociedad.
Bruno Fernandes hit a hat-trick against Real Sociedad. (Image: Carl Recine/Getty Images.)
Between late-January and the March international break, Fernandes started seven league games in midfield and contributed three goals and four assists. He also operated from midfield in both legs of United's Europa League last-16 triumph against Real Sociedad and netted a hat-trick in the second leg to fire United to a 4-1 win and the quarter-finals.
Casemiro started next to Fernandes in both legs of the tie with Sociedad, with Ugarte unavailable for the first and being named on the bench for the second at Old Trafford. Casemiro's fourth and fifth Europa League starts of the season produced his best performances for some time, with the Brazilian able to cope with the slower pace.
Europa League games are rarely as frantic as Premier League fixtures, meaning the Brazilian, 33, was able to keep up. His performances against Sociedad guaranteed him starting berths of both legs of the chaotic quarter-final triumph over Lyon.
Unlike in the previous round, however, he was partnered by Ugarte, giving United a more defensive mindset in the centre of the pitch. Fernandes was reinstated as a No.10, despite his best form all season coming from a deeper role.
Following Ruben Amorim's appointment as head coach back in November, it was widely anticipated that his preferred midfield partnership would be Ugarte and Mainoo. Instead, the latter is not currently a guaranteed starter.
Casemiro and Ugarte have started each of United's last four games in the Europa League alongside each other and it is hard to imagine that partnership being broken up for Wednesday night's final against Tottenham in Bilbao. Of course, the key difference about the final in comparison to United's journey to it is that they have not come up against a Premier League counterpart in Europe.
Casemiro celebrates after scoring in the second leg against Athletic Bilbao.
Casemiro has saved his best performances this season for the Europa League. (Image: Oli Scarff/AFP via Getty Images.)
The pace of the game is likely to be much faster than United have been used to throughout their journey to Bilbao. Tottenham will no doubt be saying the same.
Nevertheless, Casemiro, who has only featured in two of United's last six league games, is highly likely to start against the Londoners, and his performances in the Europa League this season are worthy of a starting berth.
Few would have anticipated him playing himself back into the reckoning after being ignored by Amorim for six games running in January. Fernandes' form as a No.8 could also have prevented him being drafted back into the team.
But as United gear up for a first European final in four years, Casemiro is likely to be central to Amorim's preparations.