Despite missing games, the unexpected attention Casemiro gets ahead of his return

After the last win at Elland Road, Erik Ten Hag seemed very relaxed as he had scaled through another game without his brilliant 'glue' that hold all his pieces together. The Red Devils had played back-to-back games without their top midfielder.

Ten Hag knew that ahead of the midweek game in the Europa League, he'll be having Casemiro back in his team. The Brazilian midfielder was serving a three-match suspension in the domestic competition with just one more suspension left to go.

But he will be available for the Red Devils' game against one of his most familiar foes in FC Barcelona, whom he faced repeatedly during his time with Real Madrid in the famous El Clasico games. Casemiro's track record against Barca is quite decent.

The midfielder has won nine games against the Spanish club, with just four draws and six losses. Casemiro will be looking forward to returning to action after having more than enough rest on the sidelines in recent days. He'll most certainly be paired with Fred in the heart of United's midfield.

What unexpected attention is Casemiro getting?

The Brazilian International's teammate, Raphinha, who now plays for Barcelona declared that he's the best midfielder in the world, which makes him a huge threat to Barcelona ahead of tonight's game. His absence in United's last two matches was greatly felt as the Red Devils' defensive line was consistently pressured by Leeds United despite the outcome of the game.