Manchester United’s Kobbie Mainoo can rise to challenge at Old Trafford against £219m duo

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Manchester United youngster Kobbie Mainoo is pushing for a third consecutive Premier League start.

What a week it has been for Kobbie Mainoo. He has experienced a crash course in what life is really like as a Manchester United player. Relentless high-intensity matches, lots of pressure, and a rollercoaster of highs and lows.

Mainoo made his Champions League debut in between two Premier League starts, playing 30 minutes away at Galatasaray, and ends the week with 184 minutes accrued in away matchs, with one win, one defeat, and one draw.

Now a very interesting opportunity awaits, a first Premier League start at Old Trafford.

Kobbie Mainoo can handle it

The first aspect Manchester United need to check is Mainoo’s fitness. After playing three first team games in six days, is the teenager ready for another?

Providing he passes all the checks and shows no sign of fatigue, Mainoo should be one of the first names on the teamsheet, he has earned it.

Playing at Old Trafford won’t daunt Mainoo at all. He has already proven this. Last season he started at the stadium in a Carabao Cup quarter-final against Charlton Athletic.

But there’s more. Mainoo gained major experience playing at the stadium in Manchester United’s FA Youth Cup run in 2022, playing in front of more than 70,000 fans in the final, a 3-1 win over Nottingham Forest.

This match against Chelsea will hold no fear for Mainoo at all. It will instead be a challenge he relishes.

A great opportunity awaits

Manchester United fans were impressed in pre-season when Kobbie Mainoo got the better of Arsenal’s big-money signing Declan Rice.

A major opportunity to shine for Mainoo comes this week when he takes on Chelsea’s mega-money duo Enzo Fernandez (£104 million) and Moises Caicedo (£115 million). Worth a combined £219 million, they should walk over a youngster like Mainoo, you’d think. But they won’t. We expect him to more than hold his own.

Mainoo has a free hit here. If Chelsea’s duo outperform him, then, well, they should, because they were extremely expensively recruited, and it’s a learning experience for him. If he matches, or betters them, this his own reputation will be enhanced considerably. And doing so in front of his home fans at Old Trafford will make it a real night to remember.