Former Manchester United midfielder Paul Scholes warned Erik ten Hag against starting Casemiro against Southampton, where he went on to receive a red card.
Casemiro was sent down the tunnel for a high tackle on Carlos Alcaraz, after originally being shown a yellow card by referee Anthony Taylor.
A VAR review saw the punishment doubled and the 31-year-old was shown his marching orders. He was spotted in tears following the decision, and needed to be consoled by teammate Antony.
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The Brazilian has been a driving force behind Erik ten Hag's trophy-winning season, scoring the opening goal during United's 2-0 Carabao Cup final win over Newcastle.
However, the Red Devils will be without his presence in midfield for the next four matches, after he picked up his second red card of the campaign, equalling his entire tally during his nine-year stay at Real Madrid.
His first came just last month after an off-the-ball incident involving Will Hughes during Manchester United's 2-1 win over Crystal Palace.
Scholes sent warning to Ten Hag
It would appear Scholes had a crystal ball when he suggested Casemiro needed a rest on the weekend.
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Speaking after United's 4-1 win over Real Betis on Thursday, Scholes said: “He [Ten Hag] likes players having rhythm, but with the schedule and the amount of games they’ve played, some of these players need a rest now.
“I thought Shaw looked like he needed a rest tonight, Casemiro looks like he needs a rest.
“They can give a few young players a taste of European football [next week] and hopefully that will stand them in good stead for the future.”
Thankfully, Casemiro's suspension will not carry over to UEFA's competitions so he will be available for United's trip to Real Betis as they look to secure progression into the quarter finals.
Topics: Casemiro, Manchester United, Premier League, Football, Erik Ten Hag, Paul Scholes
Joe Adams