Manchester United superstar informed Ten Hag he did not want to play any part in FA Cup final owing to injury: Reports
According to reports coming out of England, Manchester United superstar Casemiro informed manager Erik ten Hag that he did not wish to partake in the FA Cup final. The Red Devils won the game without their Brazilian defensive midfielder, beating Manchester City 2-1.
A defensive masterclass from the Old Trafford lads ensured they lifted the Cup in front of their very pleased fans at Wembley. A shocking error from Josko Gvardiol handed Alejandro Garnacho the free chance to place a pass into an empty net to open the scoring with 30 minutes on the clock. Nine minutes later, a quality pass from Bruno Fernandes opened Kobbie Mainoo up to double the score.
While Jeremy Doku pulled one back for Manchester City late in the game (87'), it was not enough to seal the deal, and Manchester United became winners. However, they did so without Casemiro, who was removed from the matchday squad entirely, only showing up after the match had been won.
A report from BBC Sport (via Metro) revealed that the midfielder "felt a tight hamstring" and asked not to partake in the game in any way. Due to Manchester United's injury issues, Casemiro has had to deputize at centre-back in recent games. He has played 25 Premier League games this season, missing out on 12 due to injury.
Manchester United legend praises Kobbie Mainoo
Manchester United legend Paul Scholes has showered high praise on breakout teenage midfield sensation Kobbie Mainoo. The young English midfielder has cemented himself as one of the best players at Old Trafford in his debut season and has won praise from fans and neutrals alike.
The Red Devils legend took to Instagram after his former side secured a 2-1 win over reigning league champions Manchester City in the FA Cup final to praise the youngster. In a post that showed the Carrington graduate bagging the winning goal against City in the final, Scholes said (via Fotmob):
"Read a few comparisons between me and this kid last week, don't waste your time, he is 10 times the player I was at 19. I just love the way he receives the ball, the calmness, the awareness of what's around him and of course big goals in big games. This boy is special… and he's a f***ing red.”
Manchester United will be keen to keep improving Mainoo at the club and will hope he can achieve his immense potential at Old Trafford. The youngster will play with his boyhood club in the Europa League next season, with his first-half strike securing European football for the Manchester-based side. This comes despite a poor season that saw them finish eighth in the league.