Kobbie Mainoo has chance to make his mark over international break, although Man Utd fans may not be happy

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Manchester United youngster Kobbie Mainoo is closing in on his first senior appearance of the season.

18-year-old wonderkid Kobbie Mainoo has bounced back from an untimely injury suffered in pre-season to the verge of the Manchester United first team.

He has played three academy matches since, two in the UEFA Youth League and one in the EFL Trophy, clocking up 90 minutes in two of them.

Mainoo has been on the bench for the last three Premier League games now, an unused substitute in each, with the coaching staff taking his return slowly, and after the international break we expect to see the teenager make his first senior appearance of the season.

How Kobbie Mainoo is spending the international break

Kobbie Mainoo has a vital fortnight to further kick on and stake a claim to the first team for when Manchester United return.

The teenager will have a stage to do so with England, after being called up into the England under-19s squad.

Mainoo is one of two Manchester United players in the squad along with promising young goalkeeper Elyh Harrison.

England’s under-19s have two fixtures upcoming:

• Romania v England, Wednesday November 15, 5pm kick-off, in Marbella
• Japan v England, Saturday November 18, 1pm kick-off, in Marbella

It is very possible Mainoo only plays in one of these games, if the side rotates, even complying with a possible request from United to manage his minutes carefully.

Manchester United fans may prefer Kobbie Mainoo stays put

Manchester United supporters would prefer Kobbie Mainoo sit tight at Carrington over the upcoming break.

On the one hand, it is good for Mainoo to be with England’s under-19s, and get more minutes under his belt and develop his match sharpness.

We would love to see him make his mark for his country in these fixtures and lead the team to a win.

But there is also a real risk that Mainoo could suffer another injury, and face a further setback. This is negative thinking, but it is a worst case scenario Manchester United would be desperate to avoid.

The good news is, Mainoo’s international commitments are wrapped up on Saturday, and he can return to Manchester to get a full week’s preparation ahead of the Premier League’s return the following weekend.