Manchester United head coach Ruben Amorim has revealed that Kobbie Mainoo is back in training and could feature against local rivals Manchester City on Sunday.
Mainoo has been sidelined for the past two months with a muscular issue, robbing United of a versatile midfielder who Amorim has repeatedly praised. Alongside an FA Cup exit to Fulham, the club’s only Premier League victories in Mainoo’s absence have been against relegation-scrapping Ipswich Town and Leicester City.
United were beaten 1-0 by Nottingham Forest in midweek and host Manchester City in the Premier League this weekend. Much to the delight of many United-leaning onlookers, Mainoo is in contention to feature in the derby.
“Kobbie is returning to training,” Amorim told reporters on Friday, urging caution for a player who had previously sat out five weeks in 2024 with a different muscle issue. “We will see and assess for this game. He cannot play a full game, it’s been a long time no training.”
Any involvement for Mainoo could be a boost for United, who have become increasingly reliant upon the creative influence of Bruno Fernandes. City may also be wary of the England international’s involvement after Mainoo scored United’s decisive second goal against Pep Guardiola’s side in last summer’s triumphant FA Cup final.
However, Amorim did not just have good news to deliver. “Matthijs [de Ligt] has an issue,” the Red Devils boss revealed. “He has something he got during the game, we have to assess. The rest [of the squad] is normal.”
De Ligt could be a significant absentee. The Dutch defender has played every available minute of United’s last nine matches across all competitions, offering some vague semblance of consistency in a backline that has been forced into numerous alterations.
The season-ending ACL tear to Lisandro Martinez prompted Amorim to accelerate Ayden Heaven’s senior involvement only for the 18-year-old to suffer a nasty foot injury himself. Luke Shaw is also back in training but, unlike Mainoo, isn’t expected back until the second half of April.
Harry Maguire offers a natural alternative to De Ligt. Yet, if the burly England international is installed in the middle of a back-three flanked by Leny Yoro and Noussair Mazraoui, he won’t be able to reprise his role as an emergency striker.
