Not only Yoro – Amorim must urgently drop struggling Man Utd star who’s on a steep decline

Manchester United boss Ruben Amorim should seriously consider excluding Casemiro from his starting lineup against West Ham United.

After struggling for form and relevance in previous campaigns, the Brazilian has been enjoying an Indian Summer as of late, reclaiming an automatic starting berth in the middle of the park alongside Bruno Fernandes.

While the 34-year-old hasn’t quite recaptured the peak levels he displayed during his illustrious Real Madrid spell, he has been a key player for Amorim, especially this season. Casemiro has been hailed by many pundits and observers for his high footballing IQ.

Casemiro’s form has regressed in recent weeks

Since the start of the season, Man Utd have been playing once per week due to the absence of European football and their embarrassing Carabao Cup elimination in August against Grimsby Town.

This relatively light schedule certainly aided Casemiro, allowing him enough time to recover his powers. Therefore, Carlo Ancelotti has been keen to pounce on his positive form by repeatedly calling up his old Madrid pupil for international duty.

(Photo by Justin Setterfield/Getty Images)

However, the irony is that the midfielder’s impressive form could become his curse, as the long South American trips and the lack of rest may have taken their toll on his body.

In his most recent outings, the veteran has looked out of sorts. On Sunday, Casemiro was given pointers from Bruno after a struggling performance against Crystal Palace.

Why Amorim should drop Casemiro in Man Utd vs West Ham clash

With Man Utd set to take the pitch on Thursday, Amorim will be tempted to field his strongest XI against West Ham, and delay any rotations until Monday, when they entertain the free-falling Wolves.

According to the Manchester Evening News

Nevertheless, the Portuguese would be wise to give Casemiro a breather, regardless of the opponent, as his physical condition should be treated rather delicately; otherwise, the midfielder risks returning to the miserable form that saw him relegated to the bench a year ago following his weak display against Newcastle in the final match of 2024.

So, while Leny Yoro’s exclusion appears to be a given following his back-to-back stinkers, the 40-year-old is also invited to make a beneficial call for the long term by omitting one of his most trusted allies, even if it means putting his trust in Manuel Ugarte, a one-time Amorim pupil who fell out of favour with the manager.