Owen Hargreaves snubs Marcus Rashford when naming his Manchester United Player of the Season
Former Manchester United midfielder Owen Hargreaves has snubbed Marcus Rashford and named Casemiro as the best Red Devils player this season.
Both Rashford and Casemiro have been key for Erik ten Hag's side this campaign, which has already ended their six-year trophy drought. The duo were on the scoresheet in their side's 2-0 Carabao Cup final win over Newcastle United in February.
Rashford has been in prolific form, enjoying his best season to date. He has bagged 27 goals and contributed 10 assists in 47 games across competitions.
However, it's Casemiro who Hargreaves feels has been a game-changer for Manchester United this season. He told the club's official website that although Marcus Rashford is making all the headlines, the Brazilian midfielder is pivotal:
“Marcus has took the headlines but I think if you look at Casemiro, the team is so different when he’s not playing, just in every phase."
Hargreaves continued to praise Casemiro by deeming him the glue in the team. The Red Devils have won 32 of the 40 games he's played across competitions this season:
“Marcus will get the headlines and rightly so because he’s been devastating in a way. Casemiro is the glue guy. It’d be a tough call, I want to give it to Marcus but I feel like Casemiro has taken the team to the next level.”
Casemiro arrived at Old Trafford from Real Madrid last summer for £70 million. There were reservations over his price tag given his age (31).
However, the defensive midfielder has been 'the cement between the stones'. The title was bestowed upon him by Ten Hag throughout the campaign. He has scored five goals and provided six assists in 40 games.
The Brazilian hasn't been without his problems as he has been a liability due to two suspensions this term. Manchester United have looked like a totally different side without Casemiro in their side. Their midfield were run ragged by Newcastle in a 2-0 league defeat at St James' Park last month during his four-game suspension.
Manchester United's Marcus Rashford could feature against Sevilla in the Europa League
Marcus Rashford's scintillating season was brought to a halt when he picked up a muscular injury in his side's 2-0 win over Everton on April 8. The English forward has not featured since, missing a 2-2 draw with Sevilla in the Europa League.
However, Ten Hag has hinted that Rashford is close to recovering and could be in contention for the Red Devils' second encounter with Los Nervionenses. The Evening Standard claims that the Dutch coach has given the forward a "chance" of making the trip to the Ramón Sánchez Pizjuán Stadium on Thursday (April 20).
The Red Devils face Sevilla in the second leg of their Europa League quarterfinal. The two sides are level at 2-2 on aggregate following Manchester United's second-half collapse in the first leg.