Kobbie Mainoo’s uncertain future at Man Utd has received some clarity after Bruno Fernandes’ injury against Aston Villa.
Manchester United suffered a 2–1 defeat to Aston Villa at Villa Park on Sunday afternoon, as a Morgan Rogers brace secured all three points for the hosts.
Although there were encouraging aspects for Rúben Amorim to take from the performance, they were eclipsed by concern over Bruno Fernandes’ injury, which forced the United captain off at half-time.
Since arriving at Old Trafford in January 2020, Fernandes has been remarkably durable, missing just two matches through injury. Both absences came late in the 2023–24 season, when he managed a knee problem in order to be fit for the FA Cup final.
One notable absence from United’s travelling squad to Aston Villa was Kobbie Mainoo, who is nursing an injury which was described as a “small issue”, so his return to the squad is unclear.
Mainoo unlikely to leave Man Utd in January
The Reds currently find themselves on the best run of Amorim’s tenure so far, so his decision to leave Mainoo on the bench certainly has its reasons to be vindicated.
Despite this, losing a talent as big as Mainoo could be a decision that the club come to regret in seasons to come.
While the club’s stance has remained clear about not letting the midfielder leave permanently in January, reports started to come in that the club could allow the 20-year-old to leave on loan to play more minutes, but now Fernandes’ injury has had a knock-on effect on the squad.
Reports from Sky Sports indicate that Mainoo is unlikely to leave his boyhood club, either permanently or on loan in January, as a result of the injury picked up by the club captain.
Unlucky timing for Mainoo
Amorim has not yet disclosed how long Mainoo will be out for, but did say it was unlikely he would be fit to face Newcastle.
Amorim has said all season that the Englishman and Fernandes are in direct competition, saying they are most similar in style. Fernandes’ absence should mean that this is the chance for Mainoo to prove why he deserves a starting place in the side, but this may not be the case.
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Mainoo thrived in a three-man midfield under former boss Erik ten Hag, and it was expected that Amorim would trial a 4-3-3 after losing Bryan Mbeumo and Amad to AFCON.
Many were expecting a three-man midfield to be used against Aston Villa, but Mainoo’s injury meant that Amorim stuck with his 3-4-2-1 formation. When Mainoo returns to the side, Fernandes’ injury means that he will also most likely be playing in a midfield pivot, rather than in a midfield three in which they play their best football.
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