Manchester United midfielder Kobbie Mainoo is still waiting to make his first appearance of the campaign, with head coach Ruben Amorim offering an insight into the decision.
The 20-year-old has been named on the bench for United’s opening two Premier League matches against Arsenal and Fulham but has remained unused, despite Amorim making all five substitutions in the 1-1 draw at Craven Cottage.
Harry Maguire, Ayden Heaven and Manuel Ugarte were all introduced, leaving Mainoo sidelined once again.
The England international was pictured looking frustrated after full-time, with United fans voicing concern over his lack of playing time.
Amorim explained afterwards that Mainoo's position in the squad is directly tied to competition with captain Bruno Fernandes.
"He is fighting for the position now with Bruno,” Amorim said.
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"I changed to two midfielders, I left Mason Mount there because we wanted to score a goal and when I changed I felt the team needed to have one holding midfielder near Bruno. So he just needs to fight for the position with Bruno like it should be at Manchester United."
What does the future hold for Mainoo?
Mainoo enjoyed a breakthrough campaign last season, starting 12 league games after Amorim's arrival and famously scoring in the 2024 FA Cup final against rivals Manchester City.
He also impressed for England during their run to the Euro 2024 final, further enhancing his reputation as one of the brightest prospects in the Premier League.
However, without European football to create additional opportunities for rotation, questions remain over how many minutes Mainoo will see this term.
The midfielder is admired by Bayern Munich and remains under contract until 2027, though talks over a possible extension have yet to begin.
Since making his debut in January 2023, the academy graduate has played 72 times for United, scoring seven goals.
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