Micah Richards and Gary Lineker both saw eye to eye about Kobbie Mainoo’s future at Manchester United after the midfielder did not play against Aston Villa.
Ruben Amorim spoke out on Kobbie Mainoo ahead of the Red Devils’ Premier League clash at Villa Park and confirmed the player had picked up a calf injury.
Has Kobbie Mainoo played his last game for Manchester United this season?
Kobbie Mainoo was left out of the squad to face Aston Villa and Ruben Amorim confirmed he has suffered an injury that could last until the January window…
The 40-year-old Manchester United manager was left short of midfield options before and during the Premier League defeat to Aston Villa on Sunday evening.
Casemiro was suspended for one match due to an accumulation of bookings and Manuel Ugarte started alongside Bruno Fernandes in the heart of the midfield.
However, Ruben Amorim suffered a major setback in United’s 2-1 loss to Aston Villa after Red Devils skipper Bruno Fernandes was forced off with an injury at half-time.
Micah Richards and Gary Lineker react to Kobbie Mainoo’s absence from the Man Utd squad for the Aston Villa match
Lisandro Martinez even played as a makeshift midfielder for Ruben Amorim’s side at the weekend amid the absence of Kobbie Mainoo from the Red Devils’ squad.
Mainoo has fallen down the pecking order in the Manchester United first-team squad under Ruben Amorim in the 2025-26 season and has been limited with his minutes.
The 20-year-old Stockport-born talent has featured in 11 Premier League matches in the current campaign, but Mainoo has not made a single league start for United.
What do you think of Kobbie Mainoo’s brother wearing a ‘Free Kobbie Mainoo’ t-shirt at Old Trafford?
This is NOT going to help Kobbie Mainoo!
Speaking after United’s defeat to Aston Villa at Villa Park, Gary Lineker pointed out the elephant in the room with Mainoo when it came to his half-brother’s antics.
“Well, I listened to all the interviews beforehand, and he [Amorim] said he [Mainoo] had a calf injury,” Micah Richards said on The Rest Is Football podcast.
“That’s why he wasn’t in the squad.”
Lineker then added: “He wasn’t in the squad today, but just generally.
“Obviously, there’s this brother wearing the T-shirt. I saw the Amorim quote here, ‘He’s not going to stop because of the T-shirt, but he’s not going to the bench because of the T-shirt.’
“I don’t really know what that means.”
Micah Richards and Gary Lineker react to Kobbie Mainoo’s brother after what he did amid the Man Utd midfielder’s lack of playing time
Jordan Mainoo-Hames wore a ‘free Kobbie Mainoo’ T-shirt at Old Trafford during United’s thrilling 4-4 draw against Bournemouth in the Premier League last week.
Amorim insisted Mainoo would not be punished for the childish behaviour of his half-brother, with Sky Sports pundit Richards criticising what Jordan Mainoo-Hames did.
“Yeah, I mean, he used a word about players and entitlement,” Richards said.
“I don’t think it’s that. I don’t think you should be judged on what a family member says or does, you know?
“Because, come on, how many times would you play it? Or he should be playing, he should be starting, or the manager’s this, that matter. And yes, it brings pressure to the club; it brings pressure to the fans and the manager.
“Whether you think his brother, Jordan, did the right thing or the wrong thing, that should [not] be held against the player.”
Ruben Amorim admitted coaches can be wrong about a player when discussing Kobbie Mainoo
Could Mainoo follow Vitinha and become a 'best in the world' calibre star if he gets a transfer?
However, Richards insisted that the bigger focus should be on Mainoo not playing and believes that the player should leave Old Trafford if he is not being picked.
“The wider point on Mainoo is he should be playing in more minutes,” he continued.
“And if the manager doesn’t want to play him, then he has to move on.”
Richards added: “It’s as simple as that. He was starting for England; it was 18 months ago.”
Responding to Richards, Lineker simply said: “Well, not only starting, but he’s one of our best players.”
Mainoo is under contract with United until 2027 and the England midfielder has been linked with a January exit from Old Trafford amid uncertainty around his future.
Receive a digest of our best United content each week direct to your mailbox
