Man United tradition to be broken and Casemiro reaches contract agreement
Manchester United will utilise the international break to work with non-international players at Carrington
Casemiro has reached an agreement with the club(Image: Ryan Pierse/Getty Images)
Manchester United will use the upcoming international break to integrate some of their lesser-played stars as key players depart. A total of 18 players, including Harry Maguire, Kobbie Mainoo and on-loan Marcus Rashford, are set to represent England.
Matheus Cunha, Bruno Fernandes, Diogo Dalot and Casemiro will also be away representing their countries in friendlies. Therefore, those not selected will continue their training at Carrington in preparation for the Leeds United clash in April.
United won’t return to action until April 13, with the weekend of April 4 and 5 set aside for FA Cup fixtures. Benjamin Sesko and Bryan Mbeumo have both withdrawn from international duty to recover from minor fitness concerns.
Get MEN Premium now for just £1 HERE – or get involved in our United WhatsApp group by clicking HERE. You can also join our United Facebook page by clicking HERE and don’t miss out on our brilliant selection of newsletters HERE.
Michael Carrick will work closely with the remaining United stars over the next few weeks to ensure they’re ready for the Premier League’s return next month. Here, Manchester Evening News provides all the latest updates from Old Trafford.
Casemiro agreement reached
Casemiro will be able to savour every remaining game with United this season after the club and player agreed to remove a clause in his contract. The Brazil international announced his departure from Old Trafford in January, with his tenure set to conclude at the end of the season.
However, it’s understood that a clause in his contract could have triggered a 12-month extension. This would come into effect if he started 35 Premier League matches during the final year of his contract.
FOLLOW OUR MAN UNITED FB PAGE! Latest news and analysis via the MEN’s Manchester United Facebook page
Currently on 29 starts, it’s a milestone Casemiro would likely have achieved. However, now that United have agreed with the midfielder to waive this clause, he can savour his remaining weeks at Old Trafford without the activation of a one-year extension.
United to break 24-year tradition
With the World Cup looming, United are organising their pre-season plans with the players’ welfare as a priority. This means that the club appears set to break a 24-year tradition by not embarking on an intercontinental warm-up tour ahead of the 2026/27 season.
Given that the major tournament will be hosted across the United States, Canada and Mexico this summer, many of United’s key players will be undertaking long-haul journeys to represent their countries.
Due to the club’s global commercial appeal, United have been venturing outside of Europe for pre-season training for years. In fact, the only instances since 2002, when United remained in Europe, were during the pandemic years of 2020 and 2021.
Therefore, 2026 will mark the first time in 24 years that United will break with tradition and stay in Europe for their pre-season preparations. Discussions are underway to arrange a tour of Scandinavia and other parts of Europe.
Historically, United have begun their training at Carrington in the first week of July. However, with the World Cup scheduled from June 11 to July 19, the club’s management will need to organise the tour accordingly.
Get £250 to switch to Virgin Media’s sport packages
Virgin Media is paying new customers up to £250 as a bill credit when they switch to one of its TV and broadband packages, several which are packed with hundreds of channels including Sky Sports, Netflix and fibre broadband.