Casemiro drew the short straw and had to fill in at centre-back for Manchester United against Burnley.
The Brazil international lined up alongside Victor Lindelof, with Harry Maguire ‘ill’ and Raphael Varane and Lisandro Martinez yet to return following the World Cup final.
Burnley have not always been the easiest side for centre-backs to go up against. Casemiro looked very comfortable, however, and performed well.
United won the game 2-0 with Christian Eriksen and Marcus Rashford on the scoresheet.
READ: United Player Ratings v Burnley
Verdict on Casemiro performance at centre-back
Casemiro coped well, winning headers, blocking shots, and even clearing an effort off the line after a Martin Dubravka error.
United manager Erik ten Hag spoke after the game, and said he was not at all surprised with the performance.
He told the club website: “[It was] what you can expect: really experienced, really composed. [He was] leading [and had] a good combination with Victor Lindelof. So I was happy with the performance.”
Casemiro played more passes (90) than any player on the pitch, and made a staggering 126 touches.
These included 15 passes into the final third, showing a desire to help the team up the pitch in addition to his defensive role.
He made two blocks, nine clearances, and one interception, playing all 90 minutes. An errant late pass almost took some of the shine off his display, but Burnley could not take advantage.
Casemiro’s performance also raised a smile from goalkeeper David de Gea, who watched from the bench. He sent him a message after the game.
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