Casemiro dropped and Mason Mount starts - Manchester United have a new-look midfield option

Manchester United's midfield was their strong point last season. It is in danger of becoming a weakness if they don't change something soon.

Casemiro was at the heart of the team a year ago and a strong contender to be their Player of the Season thanks to his unique combination of defensive dynamism and creativity.

Yet he has gone from being reliable to a liability in recent weeks, with his poor performance against Luton Town the latest concerning display from an underwhelming individual campaign.

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The 31-year-old was fortunate not to be sent off before he was withdrawn at half-time on Sunday afternoon, another sign of the gradual decline he is on. Taking him off midway through a match last season was an unthinkable scenario.

It was also damning that United appeared to have better control of the encounter when Kobbie Mainoo occupied the deeper midfield role in the second half, with another impressive display in which he was the heartbeat of the United side.

Mainoo finished with a passing accuracy of 88%, 53 touches and nine ball recoveries, having won five ground duels and completed all five of his attempted dribbles. It was a complete midfield performance.

There is a growing argument for the 18-year-old to be the successor to Casemiro at the base of the midfield, not even in the long term, but to do so right away.

Doing so would allow United to completely change their midfield, and rather than Mainoo playing alongside Casemiro in an axis, he could actually do so alongside Bruno Fernandes instead.

Fernandes was another player who cut a frustrated