Man Utd are facing nightmare Casemiro suspension scenario amid clear Ruben Amorim preference

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Manchester United are facing up to the prospect of losing Casemiro to another suspension in the Premier League . The Brazil ace has been a mainstay in United's starting line-up this season, featuring in six of their first eight league matches, with his only absence being the 3-1 defeat to Brentford - due to a ban already served.

Casemiro found himself in hot water after receiving two yellow cards, leading to a red card during the 2-1 triumph over Chelsea in September. Despite previous doubts about his ability to still perform at the highest level, manager Ruben Amorim has chosen to pair the 33-year-old with Bruno Fernandes in midfield this term.

However, with a packed fixture list ahead for the Red Devils , they could be left ruing the loss of their seasoned midfielder for a match. According to Premier League regulations, a player will serve a one-match ban if they accumulate five yellow cards within the first 19 games of the season - and that is still some way off right now.

Alarmingly, despite only playing seven matches, Casemiro has already been shown five cards this campaign; three of which count as bookings because the other two led to his dismissal. He was cautioned in the first half of the 1-1 stalemate at Fulham and then saw two yellows in the victory over Chelsea .

After serving his initial one-match suspension, the 80-cap Brazil international found himself in the referee's book in consecutive matches against Sunderland and Liverpool , meaning just two more warnings will result in him sitting out another match. If Casemiro receives a booking in Saturday's fixture against Brighton and the subsequent one at Nottingham Forest , he'll be ruled out of the crucial journey to Tottenham Hotspur on 8 November.

After 19 matches, the threshold will increase to 10 yellow cards, meaning any player who accumulates that by the 32nd matchday will face a two-match ban. To date, only Everton's Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall has served a one-match suspension for five yellow cards.

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Should Casemiro accumulate two more yellow cards, Amorim will have no choice but to call upon either Manuel Ugarte or Kobbie Mainoo from his midfield reserves. Previously, the Portuguese suggested that the latter is vying with Fernandes, implying that Ugarte is likely to be the first choice.

It has led to Mainoo being linked with a move away from United. Reports have suggested that Napoli are keen to reunite him with Scott McTominay in Naples on loan.

However, Amorim has refused to entertain any suggestion that the 10-cap England international will be allowed to leave when the January transfer window opens. "That is normal, and I also know that in our club, everything is a lot of noise, and you have to have news, and players are not playing," Amorim said. "They want to play.

"Like you said, there's a World Cup. There are agents that listen to the players talking all the time. So, I understand that, but they're our players, and we need everyone to have a good season."