Fred is perfect for his new role at Manchester United

They say you should never change a winning team, but Manchester United fans might make an exception given there is a chance to show off a new summer signing when they face Southampton this weekend.

Casemiro has been granted a work permit following his move from Real Madrid, meaning he can now be registered in the latest Premier League squad list and potentially make his debut on the South Coast this Saturday lunchtime.

The 30-year-old arrives at United with a wealth of experience and expertise to offer their midfield, and having already spent pre-season with Madrid, there is little worry about him needing to build up match fitness before he is unleashed by Erik ten Hag.

READ MORE: Casemiro names two players he spoke to before agreeing transfer

Casemiro could go straight into the starting line-up and be able to hold his own, though perhaps the most sensible approach would be to ease him into Premier League proceedings with a bench role this weekend. Given the new five-substitution rules at play, it makes a debut almost a certainty this weekend as long as there are no last-minute issues.

Even if he doesn’t start at St. Mary’s, it is only a matter of time before he earns a place in the preferred XI, meaning that at least one of those who started against Liverpool will drop out from the start, while those on the bench will fall even further down the pecking order.

It had initially been presumed that Casemiro would partner either Fred or Scott McTominay in the side, with Bruno Fernandes playing in the advanced role. However, the win against Liverpool showed that United can afford to be expansive, with Christian Eriksen also involved from the start.

What is crucial for Ten Hag is to have a destroyer in the deep role and a creative player in the controlling role, someone who can dictate the tempo of a patch, play line-breaking passes and adapt between defence and attack on the fly. Eriksen has shown he can do that, while Fred and McTominay have both done so previously as well.

Competition for places is a great problem to have, though there can be no ignoring the fact that two of Fred, McTominay, and Eriksen will be missing most weeks. They all have different assets to offer, but perhaps their greatest shared trait is that of versatility.

This new role could also help with their own renaissance in red, given that Fred and McTominay have always been valuable squad players, but have become figures of ridicule due to United’s overreliance on them and their being used too often.

Accepting less playing time is always going to cause an element of friction, but it is testament to Fred in particular that he has always acknowledged his supporting role in the squad and has a selfless attitude of putting the team before his own personal triumphs.

“I know I’m not the best player, not the most technical, but I give my blood and my life every time I’m on the pitch. As we say in Brazil, I carry the piano for the artists to play,” he said earlier in the year.

Thankfully, United saw sense and didn’t ask Fred to carry a piano out to the centre circle for Casemiro to play on Monday night, but this season he will once again prove his worth as a player who is happy to do the dirty work for the greater good of the team.

The arrival of compatriot Casemiro will only further limit the opportunities afforded to his fellow Brazil international over the coming season, though his stock could still rise given that it will likely result in him only being used in games that suit his style, rather than being thrown in against any opposition due to a lack of alternatives.

He might not be the golden boy, but Fred is still a very valuable red.

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