• Casemiro will miss Sunday’s match against league-leading Arsenal.
• Erik ten Hag is optimistic that the Red Devils will defeat the Gunners.
• Manchester United is currently in third place in the Premier League.

Due to a suspension, Manchester United player Casemiro will miss Sunday’s match against league-leading Arsenal, but manager Erik ten Hag is optimistic that the Red Devils will defeat the Gunners.

Casemiro will be ineligible to face the Arsenal, who are eight points clear of Crystal Palace in the standings, after picking up a caution in the 80th minute of the 1-1 draw against Crystal Palace.

He only played for the final 10 minutes of United’s 3-1 victory over Arsenal in September.

“We beat them without Casemiro. Now we have to do the same,” said Ten Hag. “He’s a really important player for us and a reason we’re in this position. We were winning, controlling the game, and an unlucky moment. We have to take that and move on and make the best plan for Arsenal.”

With 39 points, United is presently in third place in the Premier League.

The 30-year-old Casemiro, who cost £70 million to join from Real Madrid, where he won the Champions League five times, has been a crucial component of that comeback.

David de Gea, the goalkeeper for United, acknowledged that Casemiro’s absence for the crucial match is a setback for the 13-time Premier League champions.

“If we want to win in these games, we have to control them until the end. We dropped two points,” he said.

“I was pleased with my save in the first half [tipping Edouard’s shot onto the crossbar] but the feeling at the end was not so good because we didn’t win. It’s a big blow to lose Casemiro for Sunday. Now we are missing one of our best players for a big game and it is a big loss for us.”

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