Casemiro and Marcus Rashford's trips to the United States during the November international break left Gary Neville questioning their professionalism.
Manchester United is finally turning the page on the Erik ten Hag era as the club welcomed new manager Ruben Amorim to Old Trafford on Nov. 11. The 39-year-old met with several Red Devils who stayed back from international duty, but noticeably absent were Casemiro and Rashford.
The two players opted to take some time away from the pitch and travel to the United States. Rashford enjoyed a New York Knicks basketball game while Casemiro visited Disney World with his family.
The trip received negative attention from Neville. The former United man slammed the two players for the timing and consequences of their vacations on the Stick to Football podcast.
"The professionalism, looking after your body and making sure you're best prepared for the next training session is critical to every decision you make during the season," Neville said. "[Rashford] has got a mental break. He's got to get away and has got to rest with friends. Then you talk about the choice of venue. How far do you fly? What's the time difference? Is that going to give a jet lag issue? Is that going to give a stiffness issue from being on a flight for 12 hours?"
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"This is on Casemiro more than Rashford, but if I'm 30 years old and I'm looking after my body—and he's won five Champions Leagues and is an unbelievable player—but if he were away with Brazil for 10 days, we would say he would struggle this weekend because he's been away," Neville continued.
Casemiro received plenty of criticism for his performances to kick off the 2024–25 season. The ex-Real Madrid man was pulled at halftime against Liverpool after a disastrous first half and it looked like his career with the Red Devils was nearing an end. With Kobbie Mainoo injured, though, the Brazilian has found himself back in the starting XI and even scored three goals in October.
"They have chosen that international break," Neville said. "If you are talking about the minor details in being as professional as you can be and as prepared you can be for a training session on a Monday night, that isn't the best choice of venue."
"I'm not that wound up about [Marcus] Rashford and Casemiro going over to the United States," Neville said. "But what I'm asking is, if you've got a four-day break, Portland is a 12-hour flight and an eight-hour time difference, your jetlag is bad, and you feel a bit [rough]."
It is important to note that neither Rashford nor Casemiro was confirmed to be in Portland during the November international break. Rashford was spotted at Madison Square Garden in New York City while Casemiro traveled to Orlando.
"They went to Portland, and I'm asking the question based on professionalism. You're playing badly, the team are losing, you're 13th in the league, and there is a new manager coming in. Would you choose that trip as a break to recharge your batteries? That's not a recharging trip. It's not right that."
The Red Devils currently sit 13th in the Premier League standings with just 15 points through 11 matches. United also sits 15th in the Europa League with one victory in four games.
Amorim is now at the helm, though, and hoping to turn things around for the club. He makes his debut as the new boss against Ipswich Town on Sunday, Nov. 24.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as Gary Neville Criticizes Casemiro and Marcus Rashford's U.S. Trip During International Break.