Man United are now keeping a close eye on the minutes Kobbie Mainoo plays, as they want to ensure their young star doesn’t suffer from burnout.
Manchester United have never shied away from giving youth a chance. Erik ten Hag has offered regular minutes to an academy graduate in each of his first three seasons; Alejandro Garnacho, Kobbie Mainoo and Amad.
The young England midfielder hasn’t looked back since making his first-team breakthrough, becoming a regular starter for the last twelve months. However, United concerns about Mainoo are very real.
According to Give Me Sport, the Reds are now ‘seriously monitoring’ the minutes being played by the key first-teamer, with the player ‘likely’ to be rested over the coming weeks as the club want to avoid him burning out.
Mainoo became undroppable at club level, while following the season, he’d go away with England and quickly establish himself as a starter on the international stage, too. Basically, Mainoo has barely had any time off since making his debut last winter.
GMS state that United are ‘cautious’ over Mainoo’s game time and they could start to rotate the player over the coming weeks, in order to keep him fresh.
Honestly, this feels smart. United do not want to sacrifice Mainoo’s long-term success for their short-term gain. It’s the club’s responsibility to keep the Englishman fit and healthy, to ensure his own individual performance levels do not drop.
This is exactly why you sign Manuel Ugarte. It’s an extra option in midfield, meaning Mainoo can now be pulled out of the team for a few matches, in order to allow the teenager to rest up both mentally and physically.
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