It became a familiar scene for reporters covering England after the team’s World Cup games during the summer. Kobbie Mainoo was usually the first player out of the dressing room, moving through the mixed zone with his gaze fixed forward and his expression unreadable before stepping on to the team bus.
He appeared eager to leave each stadium, and that impression grew stronger as England advanced through the competition. During the knockout stages, a noticeable amount of time often passed before another England player followed him out. The Manchester United midfielder rarely reveals his emotions, even under intense pressure, which reflects his remarkably composed personality. Yet it was easy to suspect that he was hiding considerable disappointment after Thomas Tuchel repeatedly left him out of the team.
Mainoo did not feature for a single minute during the tournament. He remained an unused substitute through England’s semi-final defeat by Argentina, and although many expected him to appear in the third-place match against France, he was not included among the substitutes. Before kick-off, the Football Association announced that he had sustained an unspecified injury.
The summer brought little reward for Mainoo, but the experience was still demanding both physically and mentally. Training, travelling and remaining prepared while waiting for an opportunity all took their toll. Like the other members of a squad that reached the World Cup’s final weekend, he returned late for club pre-season. Mainoo played only the closing half-hour of United’s final warm-up match against Milan. He was then ready only for the bench in the opening league fixture at Hull, entering with 23 minutes remaining as United trailed 2-0 on their way to a damaging loss.
Mainoo’s situation attracted significant attention, with some supporters questioning how he would respond after his World Cup ambitions were frustrated. Tuchel had selected Elliot Anderson and Declan Rice in the deeper midfield roles, while also using Reece James, Jude Bellingham, Jordan Henderson, Morgan Rogers and Nico O’Reilly there at different times. Those concerns have proved unnecessary because Mainoo has shown considerable resilience. United reshaped their midfield with £155m of summer spending on Youri Tielemans, Andrey Santos and Carlos Baleba. Baleba has yet to appear because of injury, but Mainoo has reclaimed a prominent role before Sunday’s Old Trafford derby.
The 21-year-old has delivered excellent performances in every match since the opening defeat at Hull, impressing against Ipswich, Everton and Sabah in Thursday night’s Champions League fixture. Michael Carrick’s main selection decision for the derby concerns whether Mainoo starts in front of the defence and who partners him there.
United supporters have even rewritten the words of Billy Ocean’s Love Really Hurts Without You to express their belief that the side struggles without Mainoo. The statistics support their admiration. Across his past three appearances, he completed 201 of 211 attempted passes, demonstrating exceptional reliability in possession despite receiving the ball so frequently and regularly attempting progressive actions.
Another telling figure is that Mainoo registered a match-leading 15 defensive involvements against both Ipswich and Everton, highlighting his progress without the ball. His greatest qualities, however, remain his rapid footwork, deceptive body movements and sudden changes of direction. These skills keep defenders uncertain while allowing United to reshape their attacking patterns.
Mainoo has already completed one major revival this year. Ruben Amorim struggled to find a place for him in a 3-4-2-1 formation because the Portuguese coach had doubts about his defensive reliability. Even so, it remains remarkable that Mainoo was not given a single Premier League start last season. His first league start eventually arrived against City at Old Trafford in January, shortly after Carrick assumed control.
That fixture marked the beginning of Carrick’s second spell as United manager, and there was uncertainty about what to expect. “The players … maybe myself [as well], the coaches, obviously you guys in the media,” Carrick says. Everything fell into place impressively as United secured a 2-0 victory and Mainoo immediately rediscovered the rhythm that had made him an important player under Amorim’s predecessor, Erik ten Hag.
The match became a turning point for Carrick and Mainoo alike. The midfielder’s performances over the rest of the campaign helped United finish third and persuaded Tuchel to include him in the World Cup squad. His derby contest with Anderson should provide another compelling storyline. Anderson joined City from Nottingham Forest for £116m in July after United had also considered signing him but were unable to match their rivals’ offer. Upon joining, he described City as “the kings of Manchester”.
United controlled almost every aspect of January’s derby, with their sharp one-touch passing standing out in particular. One memorable move saw Matheus Cunha, Luke Shaw and Bruno Fernandes combine quickly around Rayan Cherki. Carrick’s tactical influence was evident immediately. That fluent approach is central to his plans, and he will want to see more of it against City as United attempt to build early momentum in the new season.
Carrick understands the importance of a deep midfielder who dictates the pace and creates the move before the decisive pass. His summer rebuild placed further emphasis on technically accomplished players, particularly through the arrival of Tielemans. It was also significant that Mason Mount, recently back from another injury, replaced Tielemans against Sabah and operated in a deeper position. Carrick wants his side to progress through central areas, using precise passes into feet alongside intelligent timing and spacing.
“It was nice to get Mason on in the second half and Andrey Santos [for Mainoo] and keep seeing the same things,” Carrick says. “It’s the combinations and connections. Taking the ball and playing close together at times. We have the technical ability for the boys to take the ball in the middle of the pitch. A lot of it is on wavelength and understanding … where each of them want the ball, which we are developing. It’s probably something that we’ve done a bit more of this season.”
Carrick is likely to pair Tielemans with Mainoo while deploying Fernandes as the third member of the midfield. On the opposite side, Anderson, Enzo Fernández and Cherki are expected to provide the competition. It promises to be a fascinating confrontation, with control of that central area likely to determine the derby’s outcome.
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