Casemiro labelled Man Utd's 'guard dog' as Antony hails 'no nonsense' team-mate

• Casemiro had a tough start at United
• Has been growing in stature with more minutes
• Antony praises fellow Brazilian

WHAT HAPPENED?  The Brazilian took some time to adapt to his new surroundings following his £70 million ($79m) summer transfer from Real Madrid. However, he is now living up to his reputation as one of the best defensive midfielders in the business and has established himself as a vital cog in Erik ten Hag's squad with impressive displays against Tottenham and Chelsea. Antony, his close friend and compatriot, has hailed the midfielder for his impact at Old Trafford.

WHAT THEY SAID: "Casemiro is a more serious type. I always say he's our guard dog in the middle. He's a no-nonsense guy, a more serious type," The Brazilian winger told the club's official media.

THE BIGGER PICTURE: Casemiro chipped in with an important equaliser against Chelsea, which was his first goal for his new club. However, he has told supporters not to expect too much from him in the final third. Casemiro told the United Review recently: "Everybody knows my work. My role is defensive - to help my teammates and bring the ball out from the back with quality. I defend, first of all, and provide balance to the team. Of course, a goal here or there is nice but doing my job and defending well comes first."

IN THREE PHOTOS:

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Getty Images

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WHAT NEXT FOR CASEMIRO? Manchester United are gearing up for their Europa League clash against Sheriff on Thursday and Casemiro will hope to keep up his rich vein of form.