Manchester United 4-4 AFC Bournemouth match verdict and review
Man Utd are back in action when they travel to face Aston Villa in the Premier League this weekend.
Ruben Amorim will have to make at least three changes to his Manchester United starting line up when they face Aston Villa this weekend. United have known for a while they will be without both Amad Diallo and Bryan Mbeumo due to their participation in the Africa Cup of Nations, but they were handed a further selection blow when Casemiro picked up a yellow card against Bournemouth on Monday night.
The Brazil international picked up his fifth yellow card of the campaign when he fouled Marcus Tavernier and was emphatically punished as the Bournemouth star fired in the resulting free-kick. There was even further punishment though, with Casemiro now set to serve an automatic one-match ban for accumulation.
It means Amorim will have to come up with a solution for the trip to Villa Park and it might not be one that many United supporters are happy about.
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How United plan to replace Casemiro
Manchester United have found it difficult to replace Casemiro when he has been unavailable so far this season, but will have to find a solution against Aston Villa on Sunday afternoon.
In the three matches Casemiro has not started this campaign, United have lost all of them. Manuel Ugarte started alongside Bruno Fernandes for the 3-0 derby defeat to Man City in September and it was that partnership again when United lost 3-1 away to Brentford later that month. The other defeat saw Ugarte partner Kobbie Mainoo as United were dumped out of the Carabao Cup by Grimsby Town on penalties.
Those stats might suggest that a change is required against Aston Villa, though they also suggest that Amorim is more likely to replace Casemiro with Ugarte than Mainoo. The pair could both benefit from United's proposed change to a 4-3-3 formation, though neither of them are exactly suited to the defensive responsibility of a partnership with Fernandes.
Speaking just last week, Amorim was asked about the possibility of using Mainoo as a defensive midfielder. It was a subject he entertained, though it is understood the United head coach has reservations over the 20-year-old's defensive qualities as the holding midfielder.
"Yes, he can (play there)," Amorim told reporters. "Against West Ham was Manu (Ugarte) that comes for Bruno's position. Bruno goes up because I was feeling that with 10 minutes it's going to be long balls, second balls. I was thinking that, I think it was against Everton. I took Casemiro out and I put Kobbie in that because we were trying to play a different game.
"He can play in that position. But it's hard sometimes. If you look at our team with Cunha, Bryan, sometimes Bruno, that you guys say is a No.10. Sometimes Kobbie, Manu, you have to think I'm the guy for blocking transitions, all these things. He needs to spend more time there but he can be in the future that position."
Amorim can expect plenty more questions about Mainoo when he speaks to the press on Friday afternoon, not only about his position but also about his half-brother's controversial fashion statement on Monday night. However, if you want an answer to who will partner Fernandes this weekend, then the evidence suggests it could be Ugarte instead.
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