Kobbie Mainoo’s future is expected to dominate the discussion as the January transfer window inches closer, but Ruben Amorim’s latest update means the end might not be as clear-cut as it seemed.
Ruben Amorim has publicly doubled and tripled down on his stance on Kobbie Mainoo, often at the detriment of even other Man Utd academy products.
However, it was due to injury that Mainoo missed the last game against Aston Villa, with the Man Utd manager’s problems made worse due to Bruno Fernandes’ injury soon after.
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It was widely expected that Mainoo had played his last game of the season for United, especially if the club prioritise a new midfield due to injury worries, but Amorim’s latest update changes everything.
Kobbie Mainoo’s Man Utd lifeline
There is no good time to get injured, but even with those standards, Mainoo was injured at the worst possible time.
Casemiro’s suspension meant he would have likely started against Villa, and even if he hadn’t, Fernandes’ injury almost certainly would have made him the first name on the teamsheet.
However, just when it looked like luck had taken away a rare chance for Mainoo, Amorim’s latest update changes everything for the better.
The manager has now confirmed that both Mainoo and Fernandes are in a better condition than first feared, but the real boost for Mainoo is that he will be back faster than Fernandes.
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It goes without saying that Fernandes will walk back into the first XI the moment he is fit, so the fact that Mainoo will be fit quicker than Fernandes will afford him precious few minutes to prove he deserves more.
What looked like a lost cause has suddenly transformed into a lifeline for Mainoo to prove himself out of Fernandes’ shadow.
Mainoo is swinging between two narratives
So far, it can be argued that while Mainoo has not been given a fair run of games by Amorim, his reputation is also increasing by default because the team is struggling.
It’s the classic “Donny van de Beek under Ole Gunnar Solskjaer” scenario right now, where Mainoo is looked at as the saviour who will turn everything around.
Now that he’ll return sooner than Fernandes, he has the chance to show that he’s not Solskjaer’s Van de Beek, he’s Ten Hag’s Amad, in the sense that the manager was wrong to not give him a chance.
He couldn’t have asked for a better set of circumstances, considering the timing of his injury. He’s swinging between these two narratives.
Now he has the chance to end one for good and prove Amorim wrong.
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