Why Is Casemiro Not Playing Today for Manchester United vs Sunderland?

Manchester United head to Sunderland today with Champions League qualification already secured after their win against Liverpool last week. 

Michael Carrick has opted to rotate his squad, leaving out key players like Casemiro, Benjamin Sesko, Bryan Mbuemo, and Matthijs de Ligt.

For Carrick, this match is a chance to secure a league double over Sunderland and further prove he deserves the permanent manager's job. 

With European football already secured, the former midfielder has the freedom to experiment with his lineup while aiming to finish the season strongly.

Why is Casemiro not playing tonight?

According to reports from The Sun, Casemiro is missing his first matchday squad of the season due to an injury. 

While he wasn't fit enough for the trip to Sunderland, he is expected to return for next Sunday’s match against Nottingham Forest which will likely be his final appearance at Old Trafford before his contract expires this summer.

Carrick also confirmed the Brazilian would likely return next week.

"Casemiro, he'll be fine for next week, it's nothing major. Manu [Ugarte] had a problem with his back in training, so that's the issues kind of ironed out. We've got a really strong team today and I'm looking forward to seeing the boys play and perform, finish the season strong."

There has been some speculation that his absence might be tactical rather than physical. A clause in Casemiro's contract would have triggered a one-year extension if he reached 35 Premier League starts this season.