Kobbie Mainoo's return became the focus of attention, even though the young midfielder didn't make much of an impact in Manchester United's 2-2 draw against Burnley on the morning of January 8th.
This was Mainoo's first appearance after a calf injury layoff, and it came shortly after manager Ruben Amorim was sacked. Prior to this, the England international had not started a single Premier League match in the 2025/26 season under the Portuguese manager, raising questions about his future at Old Trafford.
Introduced by Darren Fletcher in the 74th minute, replacing Casemiro with the score at 2-2, Mainoo was expected to bring a fresh impetus to the midfield. However, in his short time on the pitch, the 20-year-old did not have a significant impact on the game. He touched the ball 27 times, lost possession 3 times, and was criticized by Gary Neville for disrupting the Red Devils' tempo.
In contrast to Mainoo's lackluster performance, another MU academy product, Shea Lacey, attracted attention with several bright moments, particularly his long-range shot that hit the crossbar, showing promising potential.
The reaction from Manchester United fans has been quite strong. Many believe that his recent performance partly explains why Amorim left Mainoo out of his plans. However, some advocate for patience, emphasizing that the young midfielder has just returned from injury and needs more time to regain his match fitness.
With Amorim leaving the manager's position, more opportunities will certainly open up for Mainoo in the coming period. However, he needs to take advantage of the chances he gets to regain his place in the MU squad.