"United will have a top player for the next years, easily" - Casemiro heaps praises on breakout Manchester United star

Manchester United midfielder Casemiro has heaped praise on teammate Kobbie Mainoo following his brilliant performance for the Red Devils this season.

The 18-year-old is currently enjoying his breakthrough season at United, where he has played a total of 1097 minutes of football action. Mainoo has made 15 appearances for the Red Devils across all competitions and has also scored two goals this campaign.

His energetic performances have drawn a lot of praise from both fans and football personalities, with the latest being his very own teammate Casemiro.

The veteran Brazilian midfielder said that he has been impressed with the player's performance this season. He went on to claim that Mainoo would be a top player for Manchester United for many years to come.

Speaking about the midfielder in an interview, as quoted by UtdDistrict, Casemiro said:

"I'd like to congratulate Kobbie [Mainoo]. He's only 18, and he's already a starter at a club like. It's not easy. There's a lot of pressure. But I think United will have a top player for the next years, easily..."

It will be interesting to see if Mainoo will be able to live up to the hype as predicted by the veteran Brazilian holding midfielder.

---

Erik ten Hag defends his decision to take off Manchester United star at halftime

The Red Devils boss took off Casemiro after just 45 minutes in his side's hard-fought 2-1 victory over Luton Town over the weekend (February 18).

The substitution did spark a couple of reactions from fans and pundits, as Casemiro is regarded as one of Manchester United's best players. However, after the game, Ten Hag said that his decision to take the midfielder off after just 45 minutes was due to the fear of him getting a red card.

Casemiro was handed a yellow after his foul on Amari'i Bell and was fortunate not to have been sent off before the break following his tackle on Ross Barkley.

Speaking about his decision to take off the midfielder via the Manchester Evening News, Ten Hag said:

"Even when he is not touching opponents he gets booked. Often the first moment of the game. I think it's crazy and it was so unfair that first booking. That second could have been so that's why I took him off. He touches an opponent and he gets booked."

Manchester United, meanwhile, are sixth in the Premier League, five points behind fourth-placed Aston Villa.