Man United fans watching the World Cup were already gutted by how Thomas Tuchel used Kobbie Mainoo, but now there’s even worse news: the young midfielder picked up a back injury during training that kept him out of England’s third-place match. Just brutal.
A World Cup To Forget
This World Cup was supposed to be Mainoo’s moment, right? After a second half of the season that saw him truly set the stage alight once Michael Carrick took over, and an England call-up, everyone was hyped. He had such an impact in the last European Championships, and with Declan Rice not at his peak, fans thought the minutes would come for the 21-year-old. But Tuchel, man, he opted for Jordan Henderson, Reece James, and Eberechi Eze in midfield instead. After England lost in the semi-finals, pundits and fans alike clamored for the England international to sit out the third-place game, calling it a “glorified friendly.” As it turns out, he didn’t even make the squad for the match against France, a game England won 6-4.
Carrick’s Midfield Headaches Just Grew
Turns out, there was a reason Mainoo was sidelined. Tuchel confirmed the bad news, saying, “Kobbie was injured in the last training session yesterday morning. He had a sharp pain in the back within the training and he was not ready to play.” Talk about a gut punch. Man United is already short on quality in the middle of the park, with Mason Mount asked to play a deeper role because Youri Tielemans is absent and that crucial third midfield signing hasn’t happened. Carrick is left sweating, trying to figure out the timeline for returns for Manuel Ugarte and Lisandro Martinez, who are also dealing with injuries. Mainoo, the United No. 37, always goes up a gear when under fire, remember his performance against Manchester City in Carrick’s first game. He’s gonna have a point to prove when he does return after this disastrous treatment.
Hopefully, this injury is nothing serious and Kobbie Mainoo can get back to United’s pre-season camp fit and firing. Carrick needs him, and United needs him. This season is gonna be wild, but they need their midfield maestro healthy.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
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