- Kobbie Mainoo has struggled to close out recent matches under Ruben Amorim
- Paul Scholes expressed his fear the the 19-year-old Man United midfield star
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Paul Scholes is worried about Kobbie Mainoo’s legs and his inability to finish 90 minutes.
Mainoo came back into the Manchester United starting line-up for Sunday’s 2-2 draw with Liverpool but was taken off after 72 minutes.
It means the 19-year-old has only completed the full 90 minutes once in United’s last five Premier League games under Ruben Amorim.
And it strikes a marked contrast with last season, when the central midfielder regularly closed out full matches under Erik ten Hag.
Amorim’s two-man midfield demands players bursting with energy and pundits fear he may struggle to live up to the expectations.
‘Mainoo with his legs has to be a worry,’ Scholes told Premier League Productions when assessing who should feature in United’s midfield. ‘He doesn’t finish a lot of games.’
Kobbie Mainoo’s legs are a ‘worry’ in Man United’s high-intensity midfield, says Paul Scholes
The Manchester United star has found himself frequently taken off under Ruben Amorim
Scholes expressd his fears for Mainoo while Gary Lineker questioned why he doesn’t play for longer
Michael Owen added: ‘He looks heavy, but yeah, he tires a lot, doesn’t he? And it’s one thing he’s an unbelievable player, but if there’s one thing about Mainoo, it’s getting around the pitch and his ability to last a full game at the high intensity that’s needed.
‘And then you look at the other alternatives. You’ve got [Christian] Eriksen that’s getting on in years. Casemiro that’s never been that mobile but getting on in years.
‘So, I guess you’re left with [Manuel] Ugarte and another. You’re left with Ugarte.’
Meanwhile, on Match of the Day, gary Lineker posed the question: ‘Kobbie Mainoo back in the starting line-up, which begs the question why hasn’t he been playing more regularly recently?’
Despite the questions, there is little doubt that United’s duo of Mainoo and Ugarte put in a credible performance against Liverpool and allowed them to control periods of the game.
It was a clear improvement on the ailing midfield of Casemiro and Christian Eriksen started in the 2-0 defeat by Newcastle last week.
Mainoo failed to feature for five Premier League games in a row earlier this season after suffering a muscle injury against Aston Villa, and went a seven-game stint without starting.
Considering his standout 2023-24 campaign and his age, Mainoo looks set to be an important fixture in the United team for the foreseeable future.
Manuel Ugarte and Mainoo constituted a much-improved midfield against Liverpool
As Fabrizio Romano said on his YouTube channel in November: ‘Kobbie Mainoo is a crucial player for Manchester United owners, directors, and for Manchester United staff.
‘Ruben Amorim loves these kind of players. Kobbie Mainoo, Leny Yoro… these sort of players are exactly the direction he wants to take for Man Utd’s future.’
