Ruben Amorim says he doesn’t know what will happen
Kobbie Mainoo is prepared to leave Manchester United on loan in January as his frustration grows over a lack of playing time under Ruben Amorim.
The 20-year-old has not started a Premier League match this season and remained on the bench again during Thursday night’s 1-1 draw with West Ham.
He has only started one game this season, the ill-fated loss to Grimsby Town in the Carabao Cup in August.
Mainoo informed United late in the summer window that he wanted to leave on loan so he could play regular football, but the club chose to keep him. Four months later, the situation he feared is playing out.
Amorim said he understood the player’s dissatisfaction but that his priority is getting results. United have struggled to perform this season. They are only two points off top four but have won just one game in their last five.
“I see it, I see it and I just want to win,” said Amorim concerning Mainoo’s frustration. “I don’t look who it is, I don’t care about that, I just try to put the best players on the pitch.
“You have Ugarte that played two games, one of them when Casemiro was out. Bruno is always fit, he’s the guy that is doing his position so maybe it has to do with that.”
United will miss Bryan Mbeumo, Amad Diallo and Noussair Mazraoui after they depart for the Africa Cup of Nations, so perhaps they might need Mainoo in a busy winter schedule. But Amorim is not clear on whether the player will play.
“I don’t know,” said United’s head coach. “It’s the same question. I don’t know what is going to happen. It depends.
“If I see in the training it is the best thing, I will put him in. That is the only way I know how to respond to that.”
