3 major 'wins' for Kobbie Mainoo during October international break is only offset by one 'negative' – opinion

Manchester United and England midfielder Kobbie Mainoo might be one of the biggest ‘winners’ for the Red Devils during the October international break.

The 21-year-old Manchester United star is one of a handful of players who have not been in national team action during the three-week-long international fixture period.

Kobbie Mainoo was intended to be away from Old Trafford across September and October with England, but his Three Lions international call-up was cut short.

United In Focus has now taken a deep dive into Mainoo remaining at the Carrington training complex and both the pros and cons behind the decision to do so.

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4. Kobbie Mainoo wins a Man Utd award — POSITIVE

Kobbie Mainoo has been a standout for Manchester United during the Red Devils’ stuttering start to the season and deservedly received recognition for it. Manchester United’s official website revealed last month that Mainoo had been awarded the Premier League club’s Player of the Month award for September.

United fans threw their weight behind the England international in the fan-led poll and Mainoo secured the lion’s share of the vote. At the time that the Red Devils made the announcement, Mainoo’s 82 per cent of the vote delivered a crushing win over Matheus Cunha (13 per cent) and Youri Tielemans (five per cent).

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3. Kobbie Mainoo was pulled from the England squad before a potential injury — POSITIVE

Mainoo had been called up to the England squad for the October break before the Red Devils stepped in ahead of the first international fixture. United’s official website confirmed that Mainoo had been pulled from the Three Lions squad ahead of England’s 3-2 defeat to Spain in the Nations League.

Mainoo was one of three United first-team players — alongside Marcus Rashford and Karl Darlow — who would be “assessed” during the international break. United also revealed that the Red Devils youth academy product would undergo an “individual recovery” plan during the three-week international break.

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2. Kobbie Mainoo works on his fitness instead of sitting on the bench for England — POSITIVE

United fans were left deeply frustrated with how Thomas Tuchel handled Mainoo during England’s World Cup campaign in the summer. Mainoo didn’t play a single minute at the FIFA tournament, despite walking away with a bronze medal after England’s third-place finish.

However, the knock-on effect for Mainoo was real after the Stockport-born midfielder arrived at the tail end of the Red Devils’ pre-season summer tour. Mainoo was left to play catch-up on his fitness in the summer and it provided a slower start to the season for him than expected.

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1. Kobbie Mainoo did not have the chance to see if Thomas Tuchel would live up to his words — NEGATIVE

Ahead of England’s Nations League campaign, Tuchel addressed his dynamic with Mainoo after he effectively failed to tap into the Man Utd midfielder’s talents at the World Cup. Tuchel had suggested that he was prepared to shake up his midfield dynamic to allow Mainoo a much better opportunity to shine for England.

However, Mainoo’s absence from the England squad during the October international break has closed the window of opportunity to see if Tuchel would deliver on his words. When the next international break rolls around in November, Tuchel’s remarks about Mainoo won’t have the same spotlight on them as they did this time around.