If Erik ten Hag has a whiteboard in his office on which he tries to ink in Manchester United teams weeks in advance, there is one name already in place for the trip to the Nou Camp next Thursday.
United's Europa League play-off with Barcelona is a huge fixture and Ten Hag will clearly pick his strongest team, but circumstances make Casemiro a certain starter anyway. The circumstances beyond being United's best midfielder, anyway.
The red card picked up by the Brazilian against Crystal Palace last Saturday has ruled him out of three successive Premier League games, but he is available to face the La Liga leaders, so as a fit and fresh midfielder, he will go straight into the side.
READ MORE: United might have to consider radical solution to Casemiro problem
Casemiro would have obviously started this game anyway. He is a world-class defensive midfielder who will be vital in trying to stop Barcelona, with some extra spice thrown in on account of his Real Madrid links.
Having missed the back-to-back fixtures with Leeds he will be well-rested to face the Catalans, before then missing the Premier League fixture against Leicester City between the first and second leg. For many reasons, he will be United's most important player if they are to progress to the last 16 of the Europa League.
But if Casemiro is at the base of United's midfield next Thursday and Bruno Fernandes is at the tip of it, that leaves one more place to be decided. It will go to either Fred or Marcel Sabitzer, which makes the trip to Elland Road an audition of sorts for them this weekend.
Christian Eriksen would have filled that role but for his serious ankle injury and Scott McTominay might have earned a chance if he wasn't absent as well. That leaves it down to Fred or deadline day loan signing Sabitzer.
The Brazilian started both legs of the 2018/19 Champions League quarter-final defeat to Barcelona, with United beaten home and away. Sabitzer has played Barcelona three times and been victorious on every occasion, but he played just 45 minutes in both group stage fixtures against them earlier this season for Bayern Munich and just eight minutes in the Nou Camp last season.
That muscle memory of getting the better of Barca might count for something, however. Fred was disappointing against Leeds on Wednesday and although it was Sabitzer's first start in a competitive game since November 1, he recovered from a shaky start to play well.
He occupied the Casemiro role at Old Trafford and is expected to do so again on Sunday. That would require him to shift up the pitch if he starts against Barcelona, but his industry and pressing ability in a more advanced midfield position might be beneficial. At the very least his insight into facing Barcelona already this season is likely to be called upon.
With Casemiro still suspended, Sabitzer and Fred will be involved against Leeds this weekend in a midfield that again picks itself. But there might be only one place available between the two of them for a game that everyone will want to be involved in next week.
READ NEXT:
