Gareth Southgate to hand Man United midfielder Kobbie Mainoo his first Euros start | OneFootball

England’s Euro 2024 campaign has proven to be a quiet affair so far for Manchester United fans.

Marcus Rashford and Harry Maguire were not included in Gareth Southgate’s squad for the tournament. Meanwhile, Kobbie Mainoo and Luke Shaw are yet to start a game for the Three Lions in Germany due to different reasons.

United fans, however, are not complaining too much as Southgate and his key players have found themselves under the scanner due to the side’s lacklustre performances during the group phase of the competition.

Southgate, in particular, has received a backlash for failing to field an attacking and balanced midfield. However, it appears he has learnt from his mistakes and is prepared to hand Mainoo his first Euros start to make things better.

According to The Telegraph, the United academy product is in line to start against Slovakia in the round of 16 over the weekend.

Both Trent Alexander-Arnold and Conor Gallagher have struggled to dictate the play from the middle of the pitch next to Declan Rice.

Mainoo, meanwhile, featured against Slovenia as a second-half substitute and immediately raised eyebrows with his passing and dribbling skills.

If Southgate does indeed decide to place his trust in the 19-year-old against Slovakia, it will mark his first major tournament start for England.

However, the big moment is unlikely to faze Mainoo, who has earned plenty of plaudits for his composure in and out of possession.

The young midfielder was one of the best players at Wembley when United humbled Manchester City in the FA Cup final in May.

Meanwhile, The Telegraph have also claimed that Luke Shaw is closing in on his first appearance since February as the United left-back trained with the England squad ahead of their knock-out fixture.

Shaw is another player who has the ability to greatly improve England’s attacking play, with Kieran Trippier struggling to make any real impact from the left flank.

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