Casemiro during Manchester United’s FA Cup semi-final victory (Picture: Getty)
Casemiro has revealed Manchester United defender Harry Maguire played in the FA Cup semi-final victory over Coventry City with an injury.
Maguire scored either side of goals from Scott McTominay and Bruno Fernandes to put Manchester United in complete control, but Coventry produced a stirring fightback to take the tie to extra-time.
Coventry were celebrating what they thought was a last-minute winner in extra-time but Victor Torp’s goal was ruled out for offside after a VAR check, meaning penalties were needed to separate the teams.
Casemiro missed United’s first spot-kick but was relieved to see Andre Onana deny Callum O’Hare before Ben Sheaf blazed horribly over and Rasmus Hojlund converted the decisive penalty to finally end the Championship club’s resistance.
Erik ten Hag was forced to name a young and largely unproven bench for the FA Cup semi, with Habeeb Ogunneye, Harry Amass, Louis Jackson and Ethan Joseph Wheatley all yet to make their debuts for the Manchester club.
Casemiro also had to drop from midfielder into the back four due to the lack of fit centre-backs at Old Trafford, but the Brazilian has revealed the injury crisis goes even further, with Maguire playing at Wembley while injured.
Harry Maguire was playing with an injury, according to Casemiro (Picture: Getty)
‘Today I played as a defender,’ Casemiro told TNT Sports. ‘We have six defenders. H [Harry Maguire] was injured.
‘He played injured this game. Since the beginning [of the game] he was injured. He played injured in the last match.
‘I played as a central defender. I don’t know how many injuries we have from different players. I think it can never be an excuse for such a big team with so many players. But it ends up hurting.’
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Casemiro also admitted Manchester United ‘panicked’ during their tense Wembley victory over Championship side Coventry.
‘It’s hard to explain. It’s a bit like our team this season,’ the Brazilian added. ‘Very high and low in the same game.
‘I’d say 70, 75 minutes, it was a calm game, a controlled game. Then a team in panic. I think it’s always the team. It’s not one or two players, a team panic. We lost control of the game. It’s very hard to have these highs and lows.’
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