Casemiro can help Erik ten Hag unleash Manchester United's secret weapon at Man City

Since Michael Carrick retired in 2018, Manchester United fans have been calling out for the club to purchase an elite defensive midfielder. The summer signing of Casemiro looked to be the answer, with the five-time Champions League winner considered one of the world’s best at breaking up play and providing defensive stability.

However, the Brazilian's minutes have been limited thanks to the superb form of United teammate Scott McTominay. The defensive protection provided by the Scotsman has been key to United's upturn in form, with Raphael Varane and Lisandro Martinez afforded time to build a solid partnership at centre-back thanks to the job McTominay has been doing in front of them.

With a full pre-season under his belt, McTominay had a head start on Casemiro, and so we should perhaps not be so quick to judge the former Real Madrid man's early weeks at the club. That being said, in his handful of outings for United thus far, Casemiro has shown glimpses of his tactical nous and he offers an entirely different dynamic to the United defensive set-up.

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He sits a lot deeper than McTominay and can even drop into the backline when needed, allowing Martinez or Varane to step into midfield in a bid to beat the opposition press - a ploy that could prove to be key at the Etihad Stadium on Sunday.

The midfield is an area Manchester City will look to dominate and how United deal with this will likely determine the outcome of the derby. Giving Casemiro his first Premier League start will not only add experience to the midfield, it will also allow United's centre-backs to step into midfield in a bid to catch City off guard and utilise the pace