Manchester United have a risky Casemiro replacement

It summed up how desperate Manchester United have been that the return of Casemiro was viewed as a positive when he has played so badly this season. The Brazilian captained United on his return to action against Newcastle, but only until half time before he was hooked following another injury blow.

Even if he hadn't been injured, there would have been few complaints had he been taken off after what was another underwhelming performance, with his own drastic demise mirroring that of the team he is part of.

United's deal to sign Casemiro is looking worse by the week, with his output no longer masking what was an enormous £70 million deal for a player already past his best.

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The 31-year-old brought an immediate improvement to a neglected position in the United line up, and was genuinely excellent for a large part of last season, but it was no secret he was a player on the decline, as evidenced by Real Madrid's willingness to part with him.

While United's focus was on signing an experienced leader who had been there and done that, Madrid focused on signing the next generation of midfielders with moves for Aurélien Tchouaméni, Eduardo Camavinga, and Jude Bellingham.

The key to United's transformation could also rely on replacing Casemiro with a youngster, but there is an obvious risk if they decide to go down that path.

After the latest injury setback, Ten Hag will likely need to find a makeshift midfield solution against Fulham this weekend, and there is an obvious temptation for Kobbie Mainoo to be the answer.

The 18-year-old has yet to make a senior appearance so far this season and started for the U21s on Tuesday night rather