Major Man Utd star WON’T be starting matches any time soon – he should be raging

Ruben Amorim’s ‘treatment’ of a major Manchester United star has been termed a ‘great puzzle’ and according to two sources, the snubbed player won’t be starting matches any time soon.

Amorim’s 3-4-2-1 formation is here to stay at Old Trafford for as long as the Portuguese remains in the dugout. But while Amorim won’t budge on his system, he is open to changing the personnel within it.

Bruno Fernandes now operates in a deeper midfield role. That is a change that has had a devastating effect on the playing time of Kobbie Mainoo.

Amorim has gone on record to state Fernandes is the player Mainoo is competing with for minutes. The idea of fielding Mainoo alongside Fernandes in the two-man midfield seemingly isn’t one Amorim wants to comprehend.

As such, and given Fernandes is United’s best player, their captain, and regularly plays 90 minutes, Mainoo can’t get a look in.

He’s yet to start a single Premier League match this season and only one of his substitute appearances comprised more than half an hour.

Mainoo requested to leave Man Utd via the loan route in the final weeks of the summer window. United turned down the request.

And according to Daily Mail reporters, Chris Wheeler and Nathan Salt, Mainoo isn’t likely to get his first start of the Premier League season any time soon.

“Amorim’s treatment of Mainoo has been of the great puzzles of his United tenure,” stated the pair when asked when Mainoo’s next start will be.

“The young midfielder’s future at Old Trafford had been unexpectedly thrown into doubt long before Amorim replaced Ten Hag because of PSR rules and the ‘pure profit’ generated by homegrown players. United cashed in on Scott McTominay last year and did the same with Alejandro Garnacho this summer.

“Mainoo wanted to go out on loan this season, and Napoli were waiting to reunite him with McTominay and Rasmus Hojlund.

“United stood firm, wary of the backlash from fans if they allowed such a popular academy graduate to follow Garnacho and Marcus Rashford out of the club.

“But it hasn’t swayed Amorim’s selection decisions and Mainoo remains a frustrated bench-warmer.

“Considering Fernandes’ remarkable injury record – and the coach’s reluctance to play them together – the situation is unlikely to change anytime soon.”

Kobbie Mainoo should be raging at current situation

Transfer insider, Dean Jones, told TEAMtalk Mainoo was told he would be given opportunities in the eleven when Man Utd informed him he would not be allowed to leave.

But as mentioned, those chances have not arisen so far and with Man Utd not in Europe and out of the League Cup, it’s anyone’s guess when he’ll next start a match. Man Utd won’t kick off their FA Cup campaign until January.

What’s more, sources told TEAMtalk on October 14 that if Mainoo pushes to leave in January, Man Utd will deny the request once again.

One of the reasons why Mainoo wanted out was to give himself the best possible chance of making England’s squad for the 2026 World Cup.

Mainoo was left out of Thomas Tuchel’s squad for the current international break. The only way he’ll force his way back in is by performing well at club level.

Yet if Amorim continues to name Mainoo on the bench, he’ll almost certainly be left off the plane to north America.

With the likes of Jude Bellingham, Declan Rice, Adam Wharton and Elliot Anderson to choose from in central midfield – and that’s naming just four – Mainoo is in serious danger of missing the World Cup.

Latest Man Utd news – New No 1 midfield target / Fernandes OPEN to leaving in 2026…

In other news, Man Utd have reportedly shelved plans to sign Carlos Baleba in 2026 amid two growing concerns about the player.

Instead, United’s new number one target in central midfield is Crystal Palace and England ace, Adam Wharton.

Elsewhere, Bruno Fernandes is OPEN to quitting Man Utd at season’s end and he won’t be going to where many in the media are reporting.

Finally, TEAMtalk have picked out eight summer signings who are WORSE than Benjamin Sesko.

That comes after the Slovenian was rather cruelly voted the worst signing made by any Premier League side last summer in a poll conducted by The Athletic.