Why Erik ten Hag will not be worried about Casemiro's Manchester United start

Manchester United manager Erik ten Hag will not be worried about Casemiro's Europa League performance on Thursday night.

Real Sociedad claimed a 1-0 victory over United at Old Trafford thanks to a controversial penalty decision. Former Man City midfielder David Silva saw his shot blocked by Lisandro Martinez on the edge of the area, as the Argentinian flung himself between the goal and the ball.

The strike cannoned off Martinez's knee and on to his arm, yet bizarrely the referee pointed to the spot. As the replays filtered through, it appeared obvious that VAR would overturn the on-field decision - yet to the bemusement of those watching, the spot kick stood and Sociedad took the lead.

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Ten Hag gave Casemiro his first start at United as he named the Brazilian in the starting XI alongside Christian Eriksen and Fred. The former Real Madrid man struggled to get up to speed with the game, registering the lowest passing accuracy percentage of any outfield player to play the full 90 minutes.

His role as a holding midfielder emphasises the importance on breaking up play and making tackles, not necessarily demanding that he always completes every pass. However, Scott McTominay did boast a 100 per cent passing accuracy against Arsenal during the 3-1 win over the Gunners.

The £60million signing has impressed with his ability to calm the game down when coming off the bench so far this season, but his first full start did leave more to be desired.

However, Ten Hag's comments earlier in the season show exactly why the Dutchman will not be overly concerned with Casemiro's performance against Sociedad.

Speaking ahead of United's 1-0 win over Southampton last month, Ten Hag told BT