Club makes Casemiro decision

After initially being booked by referee Anthony Taylor for the challenge on Carlos Alcaraz in the first half, it was upgraded following a VAR review.

The punishment is a four-game ban because the Brazil international was also sent off in the home win over Crystal Palace, again when VAR was used in the wake of a multi-player fracas.

Casemiro will miss the Emirates FA Cup quarter-final with Fulham this Sunday and next month's Premier League fixtures against Newcastle United, Brentford and Everton.

He will be available for Thursday's Europa League round-of-16 second leg away to Real Betis.

While the club decided there was not a high chance of being able to overturn the ban on appeal, Reds boss Erik ten Hag has made clear his frustration with what he felt was a harsh decision, and also with the inconsistent way that VAR is intervening in games.

"It is inconsistent," he said, after Sunday's match with the Saints. "The referees are coming at the start of the season with a policy: we are the Premier League, we want intensity and Casemiro, across European games, over 500, he never had a red card but now, twice. He plays tough but he’s fair.

"Same as against Crystal Palace, so it’s very debatable. When you freeze it [Sunday’s challenge], it looks bad. Everyone who knows something about football, knows what is bad, what is fair and Casemiro is a fair player. Tough, but fair, and it shows over 500 games in big leagues and he was never sent off. He’s disappointed."

In an interview previously conducted with Panenka magazine, the 31-year-old explained that he would never look to hurt anybody with his tackles, despite his physical style of play.

"The referee, the fans, I think the key to all this is that they also see there is no malice," Casemiro explained.

"I always try to get the ball. I always go strong because that is who I am, and I like the intensity that I play with, but there is no malice. I have never gone with studs to hurt a player and, vice versa, if someone is going to hurt a player, I get angry because that is not football.

"In football, you can foul and fouls are part of the game. But never with malice and I think it comes from my values which my mother taught me. And I'm never going to hurt a player. I am never going to insult a player. I am never going to do anything wrong.

"Of course, being on the field, you can stir up a player, that is normal, and it will always happen because each one defends their badge. But the values that my mother taught me is never to hurt anyone.

"I think I am going to keep fouling and receiving cards because that is football but I believe that the values my mother taught me is to never hurt anyone."

This interview is available to read in full in Panenka magazine.