Casemiro has been named Brazil’s captain for the match against Morocco

It has been announced that Casemiro will captain Brazil against Morocco on Saturday night.

The midfielder has been praised for his leadership abilities throughout his career, and he has been rewarded with one of the most prominent positions in international football.

Ramon Menezes, the country’s temporary manager as they look for a permanent replacement for Tite, who left after their sad World Cup departure, has given the role to the midfielder.

That follows Thiago Silva’s absence from this month’s squad due to an ankle injury suffered while playing for Chelsea last month.

‘There are many ways of thinking,’ Casemiro stated during a press conference.

‘We had Thiago Silva [as captain] at the World Cup, but I feel ready. I prepared for this and am grateful for the trust.

‘If it’s another captain, no issue because I know I’m one of the leaders and I have total freedom to talk in front of the group as a captain.’

Menezes has announced a fresh-look Brazil side for the friendly against Morocco, with the 31-year-old midfielder being the oldest outfield player chosen in a group that also includes Chelsea’s latest signing, youngster Andrey Santos.

Ten Hag will keep a close eye on Casemiro’s performance, with questions over Bruno Fernandes’ fit in the post.

Harry Maguire has been captain of Manchester United since January 2020, and despite a disappointing 2021/22 season, he was permitted to maintain the armband after Ten Hag’s appointment during the summer.

But, he is a seldom utilized option in United’s backline, and with speculations that the former Leicester City star may leave in the forthcoming transfer window, the Dutch manager may want greater consistency in the leadership role.

When Maguire isn’t on the field, Bruno Fernandes has taken over as captain, although he has yet to demonstrate that he possesses the requisite attributes.

The Portuguese international was most recently in the spotlight for his actions after United’s devastating 7-0 loss to Liverpool at Anfield.

After a disastrous day, Sportsmail columnist Chris Sutton demanded that the player be stripped of his leadership.

Casemiro’s performance against the north African team, who became the first African and Arab nation to reach the World Cup semi-finals in tournament history in December, may be a watershed moment for Ten Hag.

After joining United in the summer, he has proven to be an unstoppable talisman for Ten Hag’s resurgent team and one of the Red Devils’ players of the season.

Ten Hag’s trust in Casemiro was put to the test last week when he picked the player to start against Real Betis in their Europa League second-leg clash, despite the potential of a ban.

Yet Casemiro delivered a dominant and flawless performance before being replaced in the second half as United cruised to a 1-0 victory and a place in the quarter-finals.