Gary Lineker dropped a clear-cut verdict on Kobbie Mainoo after the Manchester United and England midfielder started against Brighton in the FA Cup on Sunday.
Kobbie Mainoo returned in Darren Fletcher’s first match in charge as Red Devils interim manager last Wednesday, with Manchester United drawing with Burnley.
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The 20-year-old Stockport-born talent missed four Premier League ties in a row due to a calf injury before he came off the bench in United’s 2-2 result against Burnley.
However, Darren Fletcher turned to Mainoo for the start of the Red Devils’ FA Cup campaign and started for United in the heart of midfield alongside Manuel Ugarte.
Mainoo played 62 minutes of Man Utd’s 2-1 defeat to Brighton before Fletcher subbed the England international off for out-of-favour striker Joshua Zirkzee.
Gary Lineker noticed two important details from Kobbie Mainoo’s Man Utd performance against Brighton
The Red Devils’ season took another ugly turn on Sunday evening, with Brighton knocking Manchester United out of the third round of the FA Cup tournament.
Brajan Gruda put Brighton into the lead in the first half before Danny Welbeck netted in the second half, with Benjamin Sesko later scoring for Man Utd.
However, Benjamin Sesko’s headed effort in the 85th minute was not enough to spark a late – and crucial – Red Devils equaliser before the full-time whistle.
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Speaking on The Rest Is Football podcast, Gary Lineker welcomed Kobbie Mainoo’s first start since United’s shock Carabao Cup defeat to Grimsby Town last August.
The 65-year-old ex-England striker admitted it would take time for Mainoo to return to his best, but the player’s display was “some encouragement” for United fans.
“They [Brighton] were very good on the counterattack as well and could probably have had one or two more,” Lineker said.
“It was good to see Kobbie Mainoo, who actually started a game, his first one since August.
“It will take him a while to get up to speed because he’s played so little football, but that might be of some encouragement.”
Gary Lineker on the Man Utd vs Brighton result in the FA Cup and Darren Fletcher’s interim spell
United’s FA Cup result at the weekend means that the Red Devils will now only have Premier League fixtures to play in their 40-match 2025-26 campaign.
Darren Fletcher was installed as interim Red Devils manager last Monday after Ruben Amorim was sacked from his role as head coach of Man Utd.
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Lineker insisted that the 41-year-old Manchester United Under-18s head coach would have expected much better results over his two matches in charge.
“It was obviously not, it’s not gone the way that Darren Fletcher would have wanted it to go over his couple of games in charge,” he said.
United are expected to appoint a caretaker manager – tipped to be Michael Carrick or Ole Gunnar Solskjaer – until the end of the 2025-26 Premier League season.
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