“He understands, and he anticipates” - Frank Leboeuf reserves special praise for Manchester United star playing out of position

Former Chelsea defender and ESPN pundit Frank Leboeuf was impressed with Manchester United star Casemiro's performance against Sheffield United in the Premier League on Wednesday (April 24).

The Brazilian, who usually occupies the defensive midfield role, had to fill in at centre-back due to injuries. As a result, it was the former Real Madrid man who partnered Harry Maguire in central defence to help the Red Devils to a 4-2 win on the night.

Speaking after the match, in which the Manchester outfit went behind on two occasions, Leboeuf said on ESPN (via United in Focus):

"He has something there. He understands, and he anticipates, and he is very good."

Of late, Casemiro has paired up with emerging youngster Kobbie Mainoo at the base of the midfield. So far this season, he's made 27 appearances across competitions, bagging five goals and three assists.

On the night, he managed an 87% passing accuracy, played 13 accurate long balls from 21 attempts and won all his aerial duels (five). The 32-year-old also won three of his six ground duels, made two interceptions, three tackles, and blocked one shot.

Following Casemiro's performance in Manchester United's latest game, manager Erik ten Hag will be happy that he can play the Brazilian in that role when required. The Red Devils have just five games remaining before the end of the season and are sixth in the standings, 13 points behind fourth-placed Aston Villa.

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Manchester United manager Erik ten Hag lavishes praise on Casemiro after performance against Sheffield United

Casemiro warming up

Manchester United boss Erik ten Hag was pleased with Casemiro's performance at centre-back against Sheffield United. The Red Devils are suffering from a long injury list, with Lisandro Martinez, Victor Lindelof, Jonny Evans, and Raphael Varane on the sidelines.

In their absence, the Brazilian has performed decently in Manchester United's last two matches across competitions, despite conceding five goals altogether. The Dutch coach said (via GOAL):

"I think he's a very good centre-back, together with Harry. Very stable in and out of possession."

With Ten Hag claiming that the injured defenders are not expected to return for the Red Devils' next match, Casemiro will likely have to play at centre-back again. They next host Burnley at Old Trafford in the Premier League on Saturday (April 27).