Kobbie Mainoo disillusioned with England

Kobbie Mainoo has seen an impressive rise to form at Manchester United under Michael Carrick, returning to being a vital member of the squad at Old Trafford.

Under Ruben Amorim, the young midfielder dropped through the ranks, becoming a regularly unused substitute, even asking for a loan spell away to get more minutes.

Then, Carrick’s arrival saw him return to the pitch, showing what he’s capable of, and so it came as no surprise that he was selected in the England squad for the 2026 World Cup.

However, despite being called up by Thomas Tuchel, six games in, Kobbie Mainoo is yet to get on the pitch.

Tuchel has been firmly set on his midfield partnership of Elliot Anderson and Declan Rice, with Eberechi Eze and Morgan Rogers coming on when needed.

Sky Sports has reported that the lack of game time appears to be taking its toll on the United man, who is seeming disillusioned with his World Cup experience.

Explaining his observations, Rob Dorsett commented: “For every one of England’s six matches, he has been the first to leave the dressing room after a game, and always the first onto the team bus.”

He continued: “On every occasion I have seen him, he has been walking on his own, not with a team-mate. Let us be clear, he has not been sulking. But he has looked a little lost.”

Now, England have a major clash with Argentina ahead of them, in only their fourth World Cup Semi-Final, a game which Mainoo will no doubt be expecting to be sat on the bench for given his recent experiences.

Once the tournament is over, the talented midfielder will have three weeks off before returning to Carrington to start his pre-season with The Red Devils, alongside new signings Andrey Santos and Youri Tielemans.