‘Could give him great confidence’ – Kleberson names Manchester United duo set to thrive under Ruben Amorim

New head coach Ruben Amorim is expected to make changes at the club when he starts work on Monday morning following the departure of Erik ten Hag.

A poor start to the 2024/25 season led to the sacking of Ten Hag. Since then, Ruud van Nistelrooy has taken charge as interim boss, but his future remains uncertain under Amorim.

The Portuguese coach will have his own preferences when it comes to backroom staff as well as players. He’ll eventually have his favourites and will want to impose his playing style and identity.

According to former United midfielder Kleberson, Antony and Casemiro could have their Old Trafford careers revived under the leadership of Amorim.

Both of the Brazilians have been heavily criticised in recent times for their performances, although Casemiro has looked vastly improved playing alongside Manuel Ugarte since Van Nistelrooy stepped in.

Kleberson feels that Amorim could help bring the best out of Casemiro.

Speaking to the Metro, Kleberson said: “Casemiro is the one player who doesn’t shy away from the pressure; he can handle the pressure.

“People can get upset with him or the media, and the news can try and punch him down, but he’s always the same guy and will always try to play the way that he can play. You saw him score two goals [against Leicester City], the second goal that he scored he was the one that won the header and he still had the desire to get the next ball.

“I think things are getting better for him. Every time a season is done, you hear that Casemiro has to leave United, that he has done, has to go to Saudi Arabia or back to Brazil, but he can still play. He can still offer more to United.”

The biggest concern with Casemiro is whether he will have the legs to play in a double pivot every week under Amorim, who will be demanding both of his midfielders to cover lots of ground to dominate opponents.

Ruben Amorim can boost Antony’s confidence

However, Kleberson is optimistic about Antony’s chances.

He added: “I know Antony has struggled to get the best out of himself at United, it has been very up and down, but I believe that with a new manager a lot of things can change for players, and a new manager could give him great confidence.

“He’s a really good player, but just struggled to get to his best on the field. I believe that the right manager can get the best out of him, and I believe that he can have a good future at United.”

There has been suggestions in recent weeks that Antony could be sent on loan in January. It’s up to him to prove himself under Amorim but I wouldn’t hold my breath.