- Manchester United face Leeds
- Kobbie Mainoo absent
- Michael Carrick gives update
Kobbie Mainoo has been ruled out of Manchester United‘s encounter with Leeds United, a big blow for Michael Carrick. The English midfielder has been a mainstay in the Reds’ midfield since the change in coach in January.
The 20-year-old misses out with a slight issue and fails to even make the bench. It means Manuel Ugarte gets a rare start alongside Casemiro in the middle of the park.
Mainoo was one of the players who took part in a four-day training camp in Dublin last week. He might have sustained a problem while in the Republic of Ireland.
Mainoo Misses Out
Carrick’s appointment proved to be a turning point for Mainoo, who was not favoured by Ruben Amorim. He’s since appeared 10 times, posting two assists.
The Red Devils star even earned a recall to the England squad for the international break last month. He played in a 1-1 draw against Uruguay and a 1-0 defeat to Japan.
There will be no Mainoo tonight, though, as he is nursing a “minor injury”. All eyes will be on Ugarte and how he fares, given that he has failed to live up to expectations at Old Trafford.
Ugarte joined United from Paris Saint-Germain back in the summer of 2024 in a £50m deal. He was supposed to be Casemiro’s long-term replacement but he has struggled.
Reports suggest Ugarte might be on his way out of the club once the summer transfer window opens. A move to Italy could be on the cards with Juventus in the running for his signature.
Carrick Explains Mainoo Absence
Carrick spoke to Gary Neville ahead of the game and gave an update on Mainoo. He told him on Sky Sports:
“Over the last day or so, Kobbie just had an issue in training. So it seems small but big enough to keep him out tonight. It wasn’t worth the risk, to be honest, so we’re hoping it’s pretty small.”
Neville asked Carrick whether Ugarte’s starting had an influence on starting Benjamin Sesko over Bryan Mbeumo:
“No, that’s not something we spoke about. Bringing Ben in, obviously we’ve got a choice of forwards and it’s a nice position to be in.”
United sit third ahead of tonight’s game, seven points above sixth-placed Chelsea. Carrick will be hoping Mainoo’s absence isn’t too detrimental against a Leeds side battling relegation.
The English youngster will hopefully be fit for the trip to Stamford Bridge on Saturday (April 18th). They face the Blues who are wounded following a 3-0 loss to Manchester City.
