Will Kobbie Mainoo start for Man Utd after belated £83m midfield investment? | OneFootball

With Kobbie Mainoo yet to return to pre-season training despite a summer spent largely kicking his heels at the World Cup, Manchester United fans are asking themselves (and each other) whether the promising midfielder deserves to start the Premier League season at the heart of their midfield.

Mainoo has had some fine moments in a Manchester United shirt: a fantastic full league debut against Everton, a goal and MOTM award in the FA Cup final against their main rivals and a winner against Liverpool towards the end of last season. After the departure of Ruben Amorim, it seemed Mainoo had cemented his place in United’s midfield under Michael Carrick, but that is now under threat with new signings, increased competition and seemingly poor commitment.

After controversially playing zero minutes at the World Cup – a decision that baffled many England fans as Declan Rice and Elliot Anderson ran themselves into the ground – Mainoo is yet to return for pre-season training at his boyhood club, with himself and fellow England international Marcus Rashford expected to return on August 10.

Mainoo’s decision to use the entirety of the FIFA-recommended three-week rest period following elimination from the World Cup, whilst finalists Lionel Messi and Leandro Paredes have already been seen back at their respective clubs’ training grounds, has sparked debate amongst Manchester United fans.

Many think the midfielder should be back working hard, especially following an actionless summer, whilst others believe that he deserves a break, particularly with the back injury he sustained before England’s third-place play-off game against France. Other United players, who are yet to return or have returned more recently, have received less scrutiny due to their larger load over the summer.

Bruno Fernandes and Matheus Cunha, who played regularly during their time in the World Cup, were present for training at the start of the month. New signing Youri Tielemans showed up earlier than expected.

So, why is Mainoo risking his chances of a start with the Premier League season rapidly approaching? His late appearance is even more intriguing when you think about the players in his position; new signings Andrey Santos, who has impressed during pre-season, and Tielemans, who has vast Premier League experience, are both in the running for a starting spot in midfield. And then you have Mason Mount, who has launched a resurgence following an injury-plagued and out-of-form past few seasons.

Despite making just 12 starts in their last Premier League campaign, Mount’s strong pre-season showings have reportedly made United rethink the signing of another midfielder. That may ultimately help Mainoo but right now, what are his chances of starting in that Manchester United midfield v Hull on August 22?

Carrick is undeniably a big fan of Mainoo, having worked with him from the age of 13, but his competition in the United midfield at the end of last season was the incredibly poor Manuel Ugarte and not Tielemans or Andrey Santos. Even with Mainoo in the team, Carrick knew he had his flaws.

Speaking to BBC Sport in February, Carrick said: “There’s things he can get better at, things he can improve on, but we haven’t really got started on that, because we’re letting him go to go and find his flow, find his rhythm of playing football again.

“He’s a fantastic footballer, and he’s got an absolutely huge talent.”

There’s little doubting that huge talent but will it be enough to force his way into a Manchester United midfield boosted by £83m of summer investment? By the time he recovers from a summer spent on an England bench, he might find himself on the red equivalent.