Manchester United could be just one injury away from a disaster

If Erik ten Hag had his way, his Manchester United players would be wrapped in cotton wool up until next Saturday night's trip to Bramall Lane to face Sheffield United.

Instead, several members of his squad have jetted off to different corners of the globe to link-up with their respective national teams for key European Championship qualifiers and other international assignments. United's squad is already plagued with injuries, and the prospect of more names being added to the list of absentees could spell disaster.

Therefore, the fact that United now face an anxious wait on the severity of Casemiro's 'knock' is another unwanted blow. Brazil boss Fernando Diniz has confirmed that the midfielder requested to come off during his side's 1-1 draw with Venezuela in the early hours of Friday morning.

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He said: "As there was a stop (in play), I decided to make the three substitutions. We had a lot of control when they came on. Casemiro asked to come off due to a blow to his ankle."

In response to Diniz's admission, United issued a statement on Saturday, confirming that the 'severity of the problem remains unclear'. All eyes will now be on Brazil's clash with Uruguay in the early hours of Wednesday morning to see if Casemiro makes the matchday squad.

If Ten Hag's worst fears come true, and Casemiro misses out, he and United's supporters will then face another anxious wait to find out if he will be in with a chance of facing the Blades next weekend. United are already down to the bare bones in several areas of their squad and the prospect of losing Casemiro for any length of time, despite his