Man United youngster Kobbie Mainoo suffered an injury blow in United’s pre-season friendly against Real Madrid in Houston.
Mainoo started as United’s main holding midfielder ahead of Casemiro in the first half of their friendly against Arsenal on Saturday and impressed many with his maturity and technical ability.
He was given a chance to start alongside Casemiro in Wednesday’s fixture against Madrid at the NRG Stadium in Texas but his big moment ended prematurely.
The 18-year-old was dismayed after having to leave the field due to an ankle injury caused after a freak collision with Madrid winger Rodrygo. Rodrygo was tackled by Casemiro, which led to him falling into Mainoo’s legs, injuring the youngster’s ankle.
To make matters even worse for United, Madrid’s new signing Jude Bellingham scored before United could make their substitution, replacing Mainoo. The Madridistas went on to win the game 2-0.
United Manager Erik Ten Hag said that he could not tell the severity of the teenager’s injury right after the game but said he hopes Mainoo is back as soon as possible.
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Speaking right after the game, he said: “Hopefully, it [the injury] is not too bad and then chances will come. I wanted to see what levels he [Mainoo] could play.”
United are set to face Borussia Dortmund in Las Vegas at the weekend and then travel back to the UK for two friendlies against Lens and Athletic Bilbao before they begin their Premier League season against Wolves on August 14th.
Mainoo is unlikely to be available for at least the game against Dortmund but the extent of his injury is not yet known. He was seen leaving the stadium on crutches and wearing a protective boot.
The Englishman has been one of the stars for United in their US tour as he has emerged as the latest potential addition to their first team from the famous United academy. Many fans have started to believe that he has the potential to become Casemiro’s successor after learning the trade from the veteran for a couple of seasons.
The Manchester-born midfielder has been part of United’s academy ever since he was 9 years old and has risen up through the ranks, signing his first professional contract in 2022.
A potential chance to be in the mix for the first-team squad next season has been met with a huge setback for the teenager. But Ten Hag has publicly promised him a fair chance to showcase what he can do after he returns from injury.
