Manchester United continue the Europa League campaign on Thursday. Erik ten Hag’s Red Devils take on Porto and will be looking to secure a first win in the tournament this season.
The Europa League campaign kicked off last week with a disappointing 1-1 draw with Twente which was far from ideal for Erik ten Hag and makes a win against Porto pivotal.
Manchester United in Europe is not something we have been able to rely upon lately with one win in the last nine under Ten Hag. The performance against Twente was awful and won’t have given United any confidence for this week against a better opponent away from home.
Porto are an opponent United have had joy against in recent meetings, with Cristiano Ronaldo scoring a now famous goal at one stage.
However, this United side are miles off the Red Devils teams of old and heading into this Thursday there are injury concerns.
Kobbie Mainoo pictured in Manchester United training
Against Spurs, United’s evening went from bad to worse when Kobbie Mainoo had to be withdrawn through injury as he limped off down the touchline holding his hamstring.
This led to concerns over his fitness and whether he may go on to miss a substantial amount of time in order to recover.
On Wednesday, there was some good news as Mainoo partook in open training ahead of the Europa League visit to Porto on Thursday night.
Mainoo can be seen kicking the ball around with both Alejandro Garnacho and Amad Diallo – with his inclusion being a sign that the scan on Monday went well and his hamstring must be fine.
Harry Maguire was also involved in the session which suggests he will be fit to face Porto on Thursday.
Finally, Mason Mount was absent as a precaution due to a cut on his head which he sustained against Spurs, but he does not have a concussion.
One notable inclusion in training was Jack Fletcher who can be seen in images doing drills alongside Toby Collyer.
Erik ten Hag must avoid risking Mainoo
While Mainoo might be fit for this Thursday, in no way should Ten Hag be risking him in this Europa League tie.
Mainoo has been rested for both mid-week fixtures so far this season, a decision which has been taken in order to try and avoid burning the 19-year-old gem out early in the campaign.
Against Porto, this trend must remain and Christian Eriksen should be handed a start considering how impressive he has been throughout this season to date.
This will keep Mainoo from possibly reaggravating his hamstring which could end up handing him a more serious injury than he sustained against Spurs.
Ten Hag may feel he needs to use Mainoo to save his job, but if he plays him and the teenager gets injured then that will not go down well with fans.
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