Kobbie Mainoo has copied Marcus Rashford on social media after being denied a departure from Manchester United in the summer transfer window.
Following a great breakthrough at United and standout performances for England, Mainoo has struggled to get minutes under Ruben Amorim, who acknowledged that he is vying for a spot in his team with captain Bruno Fernandes.
Mainoo reportedly told club executives in a meeting that he wanted to move on loan because he was worried about his lack of playing time heading into the World Cup next year.
He remained at his boyhood club past the transfer window, though, as United refused to approve a loan move and Mainoo “needs to fight for his place” in spite of rumored interest from Napoli, Real Madrid, and Atletico Madrid.
Thomas Tuchel’s most recent England squad for World Cup qualifying matches against Andorra and Serbia did not include Mainoo, who only played 45 minutes in the Premier League this season in the 3-2 victory against Burnley.
In his 24-man roster for the games, Tuchel selected Nottingham Forest rookie Elliott Anderson and Jordan Henderson as his midfield alternatives.
Ruben Loftus-Cheek of AC Milan was brought in as a replacement for Mainoo after Adam Wharton was forced to withdraw due to injury.
In an effort to stay fresh, Mainoo has been participating in one-on-one training sessions and posting videos of himself doing acrobatics with the ball on a field.
Following his outing as a substitute against Burnley, Mainoo is eager for his first Premier League start when United returns to action on September 14 against rivals Manchester City in a major derby match.
Ally McCoist, a former Rangers and Sunderland striker, has been perplexed by Mainoo’s circumstances at Old Trafford following his explosive rise.
“It’s bizarre,” McCoist said on TNT Sports.
“I don’t understand what’s going on with Kobbie Mainoo because you’d think that the way Manchester United are, he would be good enough to get into that team.
“The manager came out and effectively said he’s challenging Fernandes for that position, which I don’t think is a battle he’s going to win.
“So if he’s not going to win that battle, it doesn’t look as though he’s going to play. It’s strange. Very, very strange.”
Mainoo is contracted until 2027 and reports claimed he had a verbal agreement over fresh terms, though no official offer has been made.
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