Casemiro has returned to training as he prepares for a Manchester United return following a near six-week absence after picking up a hamstring injury against Newcastle last month.
Manchester United have confirmed that Casemiro has started ‘training on the pitch’ – almost six weeks since suffering a hamstring issue against Newcastle.
The Brazilian has not featured for the Red Devils since they were beaten 3-0 by Eddie Howe’s side at Old Trafford on November 1. He was taken off at half-time, having only just returned to the fold after recovering from an ankle problem while on international duty with Brazil.
However, after over a month out, United have released an update on Casemiro and the ex-Real Madrid midfielder is back in training. He was spotted alone on the grass at Carrington, while the rest of his Red Devils team-mates took part in a recovery session following their 3-0 defeat against Bournemouth.
Casemiro could now be in contention for United to face Bayern Munich in the Champions League on Tuesday, although Erik ten Hag previously stated he didn’t expect the 31-year-old to be back until after Christmas. The Red Devils must beat the German champions to stand any chance of progressing through to the last 16.
If United win against Bayern and the clash between Copenhagen and Galatasaray finishes in a draw, the Red Devils will book their place in the knockout stage of Europe’s elite club competition. Ten Hag’s side have picked up just four points from their opening five Champions League matches.
“We had one [warning] shot, almost a penalty [to Bournemouth], then in the build-up we made a mistake and we were not good enough in defence. We put a lot of effort in to return in the game but the brilliance and the movement in the box were not there to get the equaliser. After 2-0 we broke down so we have to do things better.”
Casemiro hasn’t played for Manchester United since November 1 ( Image: Getty Images)
The Red Devils, however, go into Tuesday’s must-win game off the back of being thrashed by Bournemouth, courtesy of Dominic Solanke, Phillip Billing and Marcos Senesi. Speaking after that match, Ten Hag admitted he was “very disappointed” with his side’s performance as they suffered their 11th defeat of the season.
Manchester United v Luton
“Of course I’m disappointed – definitely I expected something different,” Ten Hag said. “I hoped before the game we could build on the performance and result against Chelsea. So I’m very disappointed about the way we started the game. We did for a long time everything to get back in the game.
