Man Utd star had his 'belly patted' by rival manager in joke over his weight, it sums up the club

Carlo Ancelotti jokingly poked fun at a Manchester United player during a pre-season meeting which sums up their current plight.

Man United find themselves in a unflattering position this season as they occupy eighth place in the Premier League and are out of the Champions League.

The club's latest setback came in the shape of a 2-0 defeat against West Ham United as the Red Devils lost their eighth league game of the season.

Scott McTominay started in the middle of the park at the London Stadium as fans ruthlessly took aim at his drab showing.

He remains in the team as Erik ten Hag is without Casemiro, who is sidelined through injury.

The veteran Brazilian starred last season following his move from Real Madrid, but he has failed to deliver in the 2023/24 campaign.

It seems Ancelotti predicted the 31-year-old's apparent downfall as he 'patted' his former player's tummy when his side met Man United in pre-season.

The Guardian claim: "When United met Real Madrid in pre-season, Carlo Ancelotti patted the tummy of arch-professional Casemiro to honour how magnificently he had summered."

Carlo Ancelotti and Casemiro during pre-season. Image: Getty

Of course, the Italian manager called upon Casemiro's services during his time at the La Liga giants.

He played 336 games for Real, notably winning five Champions League titles - the last one coming in the 2021/22 season, where they beat Liverpool in the final.

This season, Casemiro has played 12 games in all competitions and has been linked with a move away from Old Trafford.

He's thought to be tempted by a lucrative offer to move to Saudi Arabia, with his former Real teammates Cristiano Ronaldo and Karim Benzema swapping Europe for the Middle East.

Further reports, however, also link him with a move to Bayern Munich, which would prolong his career in Europe.