The brother of Man Utd midfielder Sofyan Amrabat has caused confusion over Casemiro by claiming the Brazilian feigned ahead of the FA Cup final - before backtracking on his explosive claim. The 32-year-old was in the stands at Wembley as the Red Devils beat derby rivals Manchester City 2-1, and cut a despondent figure in the post-match celebrations.
That followed a season where the ex-Real Madrid man has struggled for form and fitness, and was ruthlessly exposed at the tail-end of the campaign after being deployed as am emergency centre back by Erik ten Hag.
He reportedly missed the final clash due to a tight hamstring, and has since been heavily linked with a move to Saudi Arabia this summer.
But former Watford player Nordin Amrabat publicly dismissed the notion that the player was injured for the surprise win over City, suggesting instead he was irate after learning he wasn’t in the XI. "You can't just take out Casemiro. But he did at the end, in the FA Cup final,” he told Dutch TV.
“He dropped out in the warm-up. Casemiro was not injured in the FA Cup final. He found out that he wouldn’t start, so he thought to himself, okay I will go and sit in the stands then. He was fit to play in the game.”
However, Amrabat Snr, now at AEK Athens, has now ridden back on that claim and said on social media his comments were based on hearsay. “Today during an interview on television it was suggested that my brother only played in the cup final due to an injury to another player.
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Nordin Amrabat has caused confusion over Casemiro. (Image: Getty)
“My response to this was pure speculation and my only motivation was to defend my brother who was on the field due to his own merit and hard work. My words have been taken out of context, there was no ill intention whatsoever and to suggest another player chose not to play is wrong. I don’t know what happened on the day, so let’s move on from this non story.”
Regardless, the confusion is only likely to heighten speculation over Casemiro’s future. His lucrative four year deal at Old Trafford doesn’t expire until 2026, but he is widely expected to head to the Middle East having been contacted by former team-mate Cristiano Ronaldo over the potential of a switch to Al Nassr.
Amrabat, 27, endured his owns struggles last season following his loan move from Fiorentina. The Morocco midfielder was initially used at left-back by Ten Hag, and then struggled to exert an influence after moving into his favoured position.
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However, he played 90 minutes in the Wembley win, and it remains to be seen if we will stay in England for the 2024/25 campaign. His future could depend on whether Ten Hag is kept in place for the final year of his own contract.
The pair previously worked together in Holland with Utrecht, a fact cited as crucial in the Dutchman persuading him to head to England last summer. And the potential departure of Casemiro could now pave the way for Untied to fund a permanent move for Amrabat.
