Casemiro is set to miss a key stretch of Manchester United’s season after Erik ten Hag revealed the midfielder will be sidelined with a hamstring injury until after Christmas.
The 31-year-old midfielder has struggled for form and fitness in his second season since his eye-catching switch to Old Trafford from Real Madrid.
Casemiro sustained an ankle injury on Brazil duty last month and returned against Newcastle last Wednesday, only to be taken off at half-time of the 3-0 Carabao Cup defeat.
United confirmed the Brazil international had sustained a hamstring that would keep him out for “several weeks”, but Ten Hag has now suggested the midfielder may struggle to play again this year.
Left-backs Luke Shaw and Tyrell Malacia may return in the coming weeks but Casemiro and Lisandro Martinez, who is out with a foot injury, are set to miss the 10 matches before Christmas.
“I have some time schedules, yeah,” Ten Hag said. “But it’s always difficult to project that because there can always be setbacks during the rehab period.
“I’m always a little bit holding back on such issues.
“I expect some back but, for instance, Casemiro and Martinez are really strong injuries and I don’t expect them back before Christmas.”
Among the 10 matches Casemiro is expected to miss before Christmas is Wednesday’s key Champions League group game at Copenhagen.
The 31-year-old was suspended for the reverse fixture two weeks ago, when Andre Onana’s stoppage-time penalty save and Harry Maguire’s header secured a 1-0 win at Old Trafford.
The latter has enjoyed a resurgence of late and Brain injury charity Headway questioned the decision to allow him to continue playing after a head collision in Saturday’s 1-0 win at Fulham.
Maguire completed the match and is in United’s 23-man squad to face the Danish champions.
“So, we did all the protocols during and after the game, so he is ready to play,” Ten Hag said. “There is not any indication (of concussion).
“He was fine in the game so no problems. He played a very good game.”
United’s squad also includes Victor Lindelof and Marcus Rashford, who missed the trip to Craven Cottage through illness and a leg issue respectively.
“100 per cent (fit),” the United boss said. “Rashy missed one game out. A small knock but he’s back.”
United will hope the pair’s return can help continue their revival after making hard work of beating Copenhagen on home soil, having lost their Group A openers against Bayern Munich and Galatasaray.
“They played a very decent game and I thought we didn’t play a good game,” Ten Hag added.
“But, still, we won. I think it was a deserved win but we have to do things better.
“We are aware of that because you have to lift the performance if you want to get the result in.”
Hurtig the hero after late goal sends Arsenal into Champions League quarters
Lina Hurtig's 89th minute winner ensured Arsenal progressed to the quarter-finals of the Women's Champions League after edging Juventus 1-0 on Thursday.
After being frustrated for large parts of the encounter, Hurtig bundled home from close range after Martina Lenzini's poor clearance to book the Gunners' place in the last eight.
Despite Arsenal dominating the early exchanges, it was Juventus who had the first sight of goal, though Eva Schatzer's effort was easy for Daphne van Domselaar to gather.
In a first half that saw just two shots on target, both coming from the visitors, Renee Slegers' substitutes proved to be the difference for Arsenal.
Slegers introduced Beth Mead, Stina Blackstenius and Hurtig late on, with the latter somehow putting Kim Little's cross over the bar from five yards out.
However, the Swede would atone for her earlier error, combining with fellow substitute Blackstenius to net against her former club and send them out of the competition with two group games remaining.
Meanwhile, in Group D, Barcelona edged closer to the quarter-finals of the competition with a convincing 4-1 victory over St. Polten at the Generali Arena.
The reigning champions are still three points behind Manchester City following their 2-1 win over Hammarby, and know a win against the Swedes next month will see them progress.
Kika Nazareth opened the scoring in the 20th minute after capitalising on a mistake by Kamila Dubcova, notching her second nine minutes later from close range.
Barca found themselves three goals up at the break when Vicky Lopez netted her first goal in the competition to put the result beyond doubt.
There was also a landmark moment for Alexia Putellas, who netted her 200th goal for the club with a well-taken effort into the far corner.
Valentina Madl took some of the shine off an otherwise impressive display from the visitors, who have now taken their tally to 20 goals from their four matches in the competition.
Guardiola agrees two-year contract extension with Man City
Pep Guardiola will be Manchester City manager for at least two more seasons after 2024-25, after he signed a two-year contract extension on Thursday.
The 53-year-old was coming to the end of his City deal, which was due to expire at the end of the current campaign, but he has opted to remain at the Etihad Stadium.
The deal itself will take Guardiola's tenure at the club to over a decade, making him City's longest-serving manager since Les McDowall in 1963.
There had been suggestions that he may leave at the end of the season following the announcement that director of football Txiki Begiristain was on his way out.
Guardiola was strongly linked with the England job after Gareth Southgate resigned in the wake of their Euro 2024 final defeat, but the Football Association appointed Thomas Tuchel last month.
“Manchester City means so much to me," Guardiola said. “This is my ninth season here; we have experienced so many amazing times together. I have a really special feeling for this football club.
“That is why I am so happy to be staying for another two more seasons.
“Thank you to everyone for continuing to trust and support me – The Owner, The Chairman Khaldoon, Ferran, Txiki, the players and, of course, the fans… everyone connected to Manchester City. It has always been an honour, a pleasure and a privilege to be here.
“I have said this many times before, but I have everything a manager could ever wish for, and I appreciate that so much.
“Hopefully, now we can add more trophies to the ones we have already won. That will be my focus.”
Having been appointed in 2016, Guardiola is by some distance Manchester City's most successful manager of all time, having won 18 major trophies during his time at the club.
That list includes their first-ever Champions League triumph in 2023 and six Premier League titles, including an unprecedented four on the spin.
He also boasts a 72.04% win percentage across all competitions, which is unsurprisingly the highest of any full-time City manager in history.
Shaw at the double as Man City progress in Champions League
Khadija Shaw scored twice as Manchester City beat Hammarby 2-1 to seal their place in the Women's Champions League quarter-finals.
Gareth Taylor's team entered Thursday's game with a perfect record in Group D, and their fourth win in as many European matches ensured they finished in the top two.
Shaw—the leading scorer in the Women's Super League this season with eight goals—put them ahead in the 31st minute, driving into the area after taking in Yui Hasegawa's pass before seeing her shot deflect into the top corner.
Shaw was booked for celebrating in front of the home fans despite appearing to have objects thrown at her from the stands, and Hammarby should have levelled when Julia Blakstad fired wide 10 minutes later.
The hosts did draw level three minutes into the second half as Ellen Wangerheim tapped home while City's Laura Blindkilde Brown was down appealing for a free-kick.
That parity was short-lived, though, as Shaw blasted into the top corner from 25 yards out, taking her overall tally for this season to 12 goals in all competitions.
In Group C, meanwhile, Bayern Munich lost their perfect record as they played out a 1-1 draw with Valerenga, boosting Arsenal's hopes of topping the pile.
Jovana Damnjanovic came off the bench to put Bayern ahead 15 minutes from time in Norway, but Elise Thorsnes headed home following an 88th-minute corner to snatch a point for the hosts.
Arsenal could now move within a point of Bayern when they face Juventus in Group C's other match later on Thursday.
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