Explained: Why Kobbie Mainoo and Alejandro Garnacho don’t appear in Manchester United’s Europa League squad

The reason Kobbie Mainoo and Alejandro Garnacho are not amongst Manchester United’s Europe League squad has been explained.

Despite United naming their completed Europa League squad for this year’s competition, several fans have noticed that three big names are conspicuously absent.

Kobbie Mainoo, Alejandro Garnacho and Toby Collyer, all did not appear on the Premier League’s side Europa League squad, whereas summer signing Leny Yoro and the newly promoted Harry Amass both were amongst the 25-man squad.

The reason for Mainoo and co’s absence amounts to UEFA’s rules on who can be named in a club’s A and B list.

UEFA’s rules restrict clubs from excluding players born on or after January 1st 2003, from their A list, in the event said player has not been at the club for at least two years.

Due to this rule, both Yoro and Amass have been named in the club’s A list, with neither spending 24 months at the club as of the time of writing.

Mainoo, Collyer and Garnacho, either grew up at the club or in the case of Garnacho and Collyer joined over two years ago, so, all three qualify for the B list.

As a result, the trio can still be selected for Erik ten Hag’s Europa League games, regardless of being seemingly absent from the club’s squad.

Manchester United’s first Europa League game will see Dutch side Twente travel to Old Trafford. The Eredivisie side finished in third place in last year’s competition and was the side Erik ten Hag made his professional playing debut for.

The Dutchman would have a second spell at the side during his career, spending eight years with the club between 1996-2002, staying with the team until his retirement.

Following the match against Twente, United will face Porto and Fenerbache away in October. They will then round off 2024 with games against PAOK, Bodo/Glimt and Viktoria Plzen.

Finally, United will face Rangers and FCSB in 2025 to round out their fixtures in this year’s league stage.

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