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The brother of Sofyan Amrabat has shockingly claimed that Manchester United star Casemiro was not injured and he simply refused to play for the side during their FA Cup final clash vs. Manchester City last month.
United managed to beat Pep Guardiola’s men 2-1 at Wembley to lift the FA Cup and end what was an extremely disappointing season on a relatively more positive note.
The overwhelming expectation was that United would lose but events panned out differently. Erik ten Hag implemented a near-flawless game plan that stunned City.
First-half goals from teenage duo Alejandro Garnacho and Kobbie Mainoo ultimately proved to be enough for the Red Devils.
The surprise exclusion from the starting XI vs. City was Casemiro. On the eve of the final, it came out that the Brazilian was set to be dropped by Ten Hag. It was stated that the Dutchman conducted multiple training sessions that didn’t feature Casemiro in the team.
When the starting XI was revealed an hour before kick-off, Casemiro was not among them There was some confusion because Casemiro’s name appeared on the official team sheet but it was then revealed that United made a late personal change and replaced him with Willy Kambwala because he was not fully fit.
A report from Brazil hinted that Casemiro was actually not injured, as it hinted at problems between the player and Ten Hag.
These rumours were subsequently refuted by BBC’s Simon Stone, who relayed that Casemiro felt a tight hamstring and told Ten Hag he didn’t want to play any part in the showpiece event.
Stone seemed to deny that there is bad blood between the five-time Champions League winner and Ten Hag.
However, if fresh comments made by Amrabat’s brother are anything to go by, there is some truth in claims that Casemiro effectively dropped himself from the team that faced City.
Nordin Amrabat said on Ziggo Sport, “Casemiro was not injured in the FA Cup Final.”
“He found out that he wouldn’t start, so he thought to himself, okay I will sit in the stands then.”
“He was fit to play.”
If true, this reflects badly on Casemiro, who has always been hailed for his professionalism and work ethic.
Amidst all this, the 32-year-old’s future at Old Trafford remains uncertain and there’s a big chance United will part ways with him. There is strong interest in him from Saudi Arabia.
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