This evening's Europa League clash with Real Betis will mark the last time that Manchester United manager Erik ten Hag can call upon Casemiro's services until the middle of April.
The defensive midfielder, who has been sensational since joining the club from Real Madrid last summer, was sent off during the first half of Sunday's goalless draw with Southampton at Old Trafford. After initially being shown a yellow card for his challenge on Carlos Alcaraz by referee Anthony Taylor, the 31-year-old, following a VAR intervention, was then presented with his second red card in just his last three Premier League appearances.
His latest dismissal means that he must now serve a four-game domestic ban, starting against Fulham in the quarter-finals of the FA Cup on Sunday. As domestic suspensions do not carry over into European competitions, the Brazilian will start this evening's game in Seville.
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However, Casemiro will have to tread carefully, as he is only one booking away from a one-match Europa League ban. If he is cautioned this evening and United book their place in the next round, he will miss the first leg of their quarter-final tie on Thursday, April 13. He will next be available for a domestic fixture for their trip to Nottingham Forest, currently scheduled for Saturday, April 15.
Regardless of whether or not he is booked this evening, United know that they will be without the midfield enforcer for their next four domestic fixtures. With Christian Eriksen and Donny van de Beek already sidelined, it means the Reds are light on numbers in the engine room.
Two of Scott McTominay, Marcel Sabitzer and Fred are primed to occupy the two deeper midfield berths over the coming weeks, with McTominay considered the most defensive-minded player of the trio. However, during Casemiro's last suspension period, Ten Hag turned to Sabitzer and Fred.
Even though the Reds took seven points from a possible nine during that period, they rode their luck in their two meetings with Leeds United and in the 3-0 win over Leicester City. They lacked control and bite without Casemiro and struggled to dictate games. It was a similar story when he missed the 3-2 defeat to Arsenal in January after collecting his fifth booking of the season a few days earlier against Crystal Palace.
With that in mind, it has prompted calls from some United supporters for Ten Hag to experiment and push Lisandro Martinez into midfield. The Argentina international has played as a defensive midfielder in the past and his ability on the ball proves that he has the ability to fill the role.
However, Ten Hag is likely to be reluctant to unsettle and break up Martinez's centre-back partnership with Raphael Varane. They have been at the very heart of the Reds' improvements this season and it could risk disrupting United's defensive solidity.
As well as that, Ten Hag, during his time working with Martinez at Ajax, highlighted another reason why he may refuse to move Martinez into midfield. Speaking to ESPN back in 2021, he said: "Daley Blind does not have the running capacity to play in midfield. And neither does Martinez."
Therefore, that could mean case closed, even though Martinez, speaking in Wednesday evening's pre-match press conference in Spain, left the door open on the prospect of moving into midfield.
"We have many good midfielders and like I have always said in many interviews, I will play wherever the coach wants to use me," said Martinez. "I will always be available."
Ten Hag has not hidden the fact that he is prepared to experiment and task players with operating in unfamiliar positions this season. Luke Shaw has operated at centre-back on a handful of occasions, Bruno Fernandes has played on both wings and Eriksen, all the way back on the opening day of the season, played as a striker, even if that particular experiment failed miserably.
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