Midfield enforcer Casemiro will be walking a disciplinary tightrope when Manchester United face Real Sociedad at the Reale Arena in the Europa League on Thursday evening.
United will lock horns with the Spanish outfit in the first leg of their last-16 tie with the ambition of taking a giant stride towards the quarter-finals. The Reds automatically progressed to the knockout stages of the competition after finishing third in the league phase.
However, United have been rocked by further injury concerns ahead of their clash with the La Liga outfit, with Harry Maguire and Manuel Ugarte the latest additions to their ever-growing injury list. Both have been ruled out with injuries Ruben Amorim has described as "small things".
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It means Amorim has only been able to name an 18-man squad for the clash in San Sebastian. Of the 18 players that have travelled to Spain, only four of them are midfielders.
It means in the absence of Ugarte, who has established himself as United's chief midfield destroyer in recent months, Casemiro is highly likely to start alongside Bruno Fernandes in midfield.
The Brazilian has struggled for regular game time in recent months, starting just two of United's opening 13 matches in 2025 across all competitions. His last start was against Everton on February 22.
But with Ugarte set for a spell on the sidelines, Casemiro is set to get the chance to try and force his way back into Amorim's plans. However, he is in danger of being suspended for next week's second leg against Sociedad at Old Trafford.
The midfielder has picked up two yellow cards in six Europa League matches this season and a third will result in him having to serve a one-match ban. Yellow cards earned in the league phase are carried forward to the last-16 and are not wiped until the conclusion of the quarter-finals.
Article 63.02 of the UEFA Europa League regulations states: "From the first match in the league phase, players and team officials are suspended for the next competition match after three cautions, that did not result in a red card, as well as after any subsequent odd-numbered caution (fifth, seventh, ninth, etc.)."
Casemiro, who is Ugarte's deputy in the defensive-midfield department, is the only United player at an immediate risk of being handed a one-match ban, with the two yellow cards Bruno Fernandes has earned in the competition this season leading to a red card in the 3-3 draw with FC Porto back in October.
Marcus Rashford had also earned two yellow cards during the league phase but he has since been sent out on loan to Aston Villa.
