Manchester United are now seen as highly unlikely to grant a January exit to midfielder Kobbie Mainoo following the injury to captain Bruno Fernandes.
A formal diagnosis is yet to arrive on Fernandes’s injury, which he picked up in Sunday’s disappointing 2–1 defeat to Aston Villa, but United are braced for an extended period of time without the Portugal international.
Manager Ruben Amorim insisted Fernandes would need “a while” on the sidelines to recover, meaning the boss will be forced to get creative when it comes to building his midfield over the next few weeks.
It will likely be Mainoo who fills the void, with Amorim regularly admitting the young Englishman is the best natural alternative to Fernandes in the current squad, and so The Times state Mainoo’s wish to depart in January is almost certain to be denied again.
Mainoo is desperate for more minutes to reignite his stalling career and perhaps even mount a push for a spot in England’s World Cup squad. While he is set to enjoy more opportunities in Fernandes’s absence, it hardly seems a long-term solution and the club captain’s eventual return will likely push Mainoo back down the pecking order.
Man Utd’s Incredibly Slim Midfield Options
Further complicating things for Mainoo and Amorim is the sheer lack of numbers in the squad right now. The departures of Noussair Mazraoui, Amad Diallo and Bryan Mbeumo, coupled with a handful of injury issues in the squad, saw four academy talents and two goalkeepers named on the bench to face Villa.
In midfield, there were opportunities for 18-year-olds Jack Fletcher and Shea Lacey, who were needed to help out an area of the pitch which was already missing Casemiro through suspension and Mainoo himself through injury.
Manuel Ugarte is the only other natural senior option but, like Mainoo, the Uruguay international has struggled for opportunities under Amorim as the backup to the defensive-minded Casemiro. Both Ugarte and Mainoo have been heavily linked with January exits but the pair appear destined to be frustrated as Amorim seeks to hold on to as many players as possible.
A new signing to bolster in midfield remains a distinct possibility—Al Hilal’s Rúben Neves is the latest addition to a long list of targets—but Amorim is adamant any deals will be done with the future in mind, rather than as any snap reactions to the low numbers in the squad.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as Kobbie Mainoo Dealt Huge Man Utd Exit Blow—Report.