McTominay starts and Fernandes changes role - the Manchester United midfield without Casemiro

Erik ten Hag might need to go back to the drawing board after Manchester United fell to a disappointing defeat to Fulham in the Premier League at the weekend.

United were second-best for much of the match and can have few complaints about the end result as their luck finally ran out against a well-drilled opposition side. What will be of particular concern to Ten Hag is that once again, his midfield struggled to get a grip on the game, as both sides thrived upon the chaos caused by the looseness in the middle of the pitch.

It is even worse for United given that they started the match with what many regard as their strongest midfield. Casemiro partnered Kobbie Mainoo at the base of a trio, with club captain Bruno Fernandes given freedom in the more advanced role. Yet, despite facing a Fulham side without star player Joao Palhinha themselves, United never had control over the proceedings, even before Casemiro went off injured shortly into the second half.

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Ten Hag pointed to Casemiro's withdrawal as a key reason why his side conceded twice in the second-half on Saturday afternoon, which comes across as revisionism when you remember how poorly he played. Casemiro had a couple of bright moments with a fine sliding tackle and a dangerous through ball, but his performance will best be remembered for kicking the ball straight out of play and a careless backheel on the halfway line that gifted Fulham a counter attack.

It was another worrying sign of the Brazilian's decline this season, and while he still remains arguably the best defensive