Why I Don't Start Casemiro — Erik Ten Hag

Erik ten Hag, the manager of Manchester United, asserts that Casemiro's exclusion from the Premier League starting XI was due to their winning streak.

On August 22, United paid £60 million to Real Madrid to acquire Casemiro, but the 30-year-old has yet to make a Premier League start.

The Brazilian international came on at the hour of Manchester City's 6-3 humiliation on Sunday and might start against Everton the following day.

At the Etihad, Ten Hag's reluctance to include Casemiro in the starting lineup against Southampton, Leicester, and Arsenal proved costly as United began play without a defensive midfielder once more and Scott McTominay was outclassed by City's stronger midfield.

On the night that United defeated Liverpool 2-1 to begin a four-game league winning streak, Casemiro was celebrated by the team.

"On the day we signed him, we started to win and it's about the team," Ten Hag said. "The team is doing really well, it's not against Casemiro, it's for, in this case, Scott McTominay, he performed great in the team and then we get into a run.

"But I'm sure it will be important for us in the long and short-term, he will find himself in the team but it has to come in a natural way."

Brazil played in France for their victories over Ghana and Tunisia during the September international friendlies in order to reduce player travel. Casemiro took part in both games.

Prior to the travel to Goodison Park on Thursday, Ten Hag must choose whether to start Casemiro against Omonia Nicosia in United's third Europa League group stage match.