Focus on City as international break ends

Focus on City as international break ends

Manchester United’s players are due to make their way home after the international break came to an end.

The last matches involving Ruben Amorim’s squad members were completed overnight, in South America.

However, Casemiro had already been granted permission from Brazil to head back to Manchester and begin his preparations for Sunday’s Manchester derby at the Etihad Stadium.

The midfielder picked up a yellow card in the win over Chile and was subsequently suspended for the away tie in Bolivia, played at altitude.

Without the key figure, Carlo Ancelotti’s side slipped to a 1-0 reverse but have already qualified for next year’s World Cup finals.

“Looking for a midfielder with Casemiro’s characteristics is impossible,” Ancelotti told reporters before the game in La Paz.

“There’s no other Brazilian player who has the same characteristics as Casemiro.”

Defeat saw the Selecao slide to fifth spot in the standings. The top six qualify automatically, as Brazil have done. Miguel Terceros’s penalty for Bolivia has secured them a spot in the intercontinental play-offs, as they finished seventh.

Meanwhile, Manuel Ugarte played the full 90 minutes in midfield as Uruguay drew 0-0 in Chile to end in fourth place, behind Colombia, Ecuador and Argentina.

In Africa, Cameroon were beaten 1-0 at group leaders Cape Verde, with Dallon Livramento running clean through to beat Andre Onana in the second half for the only goal of the tie.

Bryan Mbeumo played for 88 minutes but was unable to help the Indomitable Lions avoid defeat against a side now only one win away from reaching their first-ever World Cup finals.

Trailing Cape Verde, Cameroon are a point ahead of Libya in second place, while Ivory Coast secured a goalless draw in Gabon to remain a point ahead of them in their group. Amad started and played 74 minutes as the deadlock was not broken.

Portugal made it two wins out of two in their mission to reach Canada, Mexico and the United States, thanks to a 3-2 triumph away to Hungary.

Bruno Fernandes was withdrawn for in the 66th minute but there was no suggestion of an injury for the indefatigable midfielder. Bernardo Silva, ex-Red Cristiano Ronaldo and Joao Cancelo all scored to overcome Barnabas Varga’s brace for the home side. Diogo Dalot returned to Carrington after complaining of a muscle problem.

Marcus Rashford, who is on loan at Barcelona for the season, came off the bench to convert a late penalty in England’s impressive 5-0 win at Serbia.

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