CHRIS WHEELER: Losing Casemiro - the talisman of his four ever-reliables - is Erik ten Hag's nightmare... Having 宙返り／暴落するd from 肩書を与える race to 最高の，を越す-four fight, Man 部隊d must 避ける another spirit drain

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Casemiro buried his 直面する in his shirt and began to weep silently. Watching forlornly from the touchline, Manchester 部隊d 経営者／支配人 Erik ten Hag must have felt like doing the same.

His best midfielder was making the lonely walk に向かって the tunnel at Old Trafford for the second time in five weeks after 選ぶing up another red card for his challenge on Southampton’s Carlos Alcaraz.

The Brazilian is now 直面するing the third 禁止（する） of his first season at 部隊d, a four-match 罰 taking the number of games he will have 行方不明になるd through 中断 to eight.

Casemiro’s 最新の absence will keep him out of Sunday’s FA Cup ４半期/4分の1-final 衝突／不一致 with Fulham and the 首相 League games against Newcastle, Brentford and Everton. For Ten Hag and his チーム仲間s, it cannot end soon enough.

Cast your mind 支援する to Selhurst Park on January 18 with 部隊d a goal up and sitting pretty against 水晶 Pa lace. Bruno Fernandes’ lapse drew Casemiro into a 戦術の foul on Wilfried Zaha and 審判（をする） Robert Jones reached for the yellow card.

Casemiro is shown a red card に引き続いて his 調書をとる／予約するing 存在 昇格d after a VAR check?

The midfielder was 激しく disappointed to be sent off in the goalless draw with Saints?

Casemiro trudges off the pitch and will now 行方不明になる Man 部隊d's next four 国内の games?

It meant that Casemiro was 一時停止するd for the next game at 兵器庫 and 部隊d knew it. The spirit drained from them as Michael Olise 得点する／非難する／２０d a late equaliser and they lost 3-2 at the 首長国s four days later.

Casemiro’s three-match 禁止（する） for grabbing Will Hughes by the throat when 部隊d met Palace again at Old Trafford in February wasn’t やめる so 高くつく／犠牲の大きい. With the help of new 貸付金 調印 Marcel Sabitzer, 部隊d navigated a 勝利，勝つ and a draw in 支援する-to-支援する games against 物陰／風下d, and a victory over Leicester.

Make no mistake, though, another four matches without Casemiro is a 大打撃を与える blow for Ten Hag. The Dutchman has come to rely on a number of players since taking over last year: Lisandro Martinez, Bruno Fernandes and, of course, Marcus Rashford. 非，不，無 have become やめる so important as the talismanic Casemiro.

His ability to read the game, 消す out danger, 開始する，打ち上げる attacks from 深い midfield, and even get 今後 to 得点する／非難する／２０ important goals has made the former Real Madrid man first の中で equals in the players on Ten Hag’s go-to 名簿（に載せる）／表（にあげる）.

His loss is all the more 損失ing with Christian Eriksen and Donny 先頭 de Beek on the long-称する，呼ぶ／期間／用語 死傷者 名簿（に載せる）／表（にあげる）, and Sabitzer sidelined for the last two games. It’s hoped that the Austrian’s 傷害 isn’t too serious, but Fred and Scott McTominay are 現在／一般に the only two fit 防御の midfielders.

It may be that Ten Hag has to 逆戻りする to the McFred 共同 so 信用d by his 前任者 Ole Gunnar Solskjaer and used by many as a symbol of 部隊d’s mediocrity during the Norwegian’s （一定の）期間 in 告発（する），告訴（する）／料金.

The first 窮地 for Ten Hag is to decide whether to play Casemiro in Thursday’s Europa League last 16 tie against Real Betis in Spain before his 国内の 禁止（する） kicks in.

It would usually be a no-brainer, but the 31-year-old is also one 調書をとる／予約するing away from a European 禁止（する）, so it might not be 価値（がある） the 危険 with 部隊d 4-1 ahead from the first 脚 and the disciplinary 予定する 始める，決める to wiped clean after this 一連の会議、交渉／完成する.

The real problem for Ten Hag lies closer to home. 部隊d can’t take anything for 認めるd against Fulham in the cup this 週末 ahead of the international break.

Erik ten Hag has big 関心s as he 直面するs a （一定の）期間 without having Casemiro 利用できる?

Fred and Scott McTominay will be the only 防御の midfield 選択s for Erik ten Hag?

The first game 支援する brings a 抱擁する 実験（する） away to Newcastle. If Eddie Howe’s 味方する 勝利，勝つ their game in 手渡す at Nottingham Forest on Friday, they know that victory over 部隊d at St James’ Park on April 2 would 解除する them above their 対抗者s into third place.

Dropping five points in the last two games against Southampton and Liverpool has seen 部隊d 落ちる out of the 肩書を与える race and 支援する into a 戦う／戦い for the 最高の，を越す-four. It seems foolish now to think that Ten Hag’s 味方する were ever considered serious 競争相手s for the 首相 League, but qualifying for the 支持する／優勝者s League was a （疑いを）晴らす 的 for his first season in 告発（する），告訴（する）／料金 and that cannot be 許すd to slip away.

部隊d have （疑いを）晴らすd their 長，率いるs after the 7-0 humiliation at Anfield with the comfortable 勝利，勝つ over Betis and a draw with Southampton when they played for an hour with 10 men on Sunday, but their goal difference has taken a 乱打するing and that could yet become an 問題／発行する.

Tottenham are above Newcastle and breathing 負かす／撃墜する 部隊d’s neck 同様に, while Liverpool cannot be 割引d にもかかわらず their deflating 敗北・負かす to Bournemouth.

In the other two games he 直面するs without Casemiro ? both at Old Trafford ? Ten Hag won’t underestimate Everton and certainly not a Brentford 味方する that pulled 部隊d’s pants 負かす／撃墜する when they won 4-0 in the 経営者／支配人’s second game.

It’s a シナリオ that would have 夜明けd on Ten Hag almost the moment Casemiro’s feet left the 床に打ち倒す and he made 接触する with Alcaraz’s 権利 向こうずね on Sunday. 部隊d will 支援する themselves to 対処する without him, but they’re doing it the hard way.