Kobbie Mainoo must have been reminded he was human when falling ill this week. Mainoo made his full
England debut against
Belgium at Wembley on Tuesday night and if that wasn't enough, his assured performance earned him the Man of the Match award. The youngster only made his first start for United in November, which means it's been an unforgettable four months. Mainoo was eased into action for the Under-21s with a game against Salford in October and played for his national team by the end of March. His journey has been a joy to follow and talks have opened with his representatives over a new contract to reflect his growing importance, despite him only signing a fresh deal last year. ALSO READ: Everything Erik ten Hag said in his press conference ALSO READ: United promote three youngsters to first-team training Erik ten Hag has started Mainoo in 11 of United's 12 games across all competitions in 2024 and, unsurprisingly, he's quickly become one of the first names on the team sheet. It speaks volumes that Mainoo is in contention to win the Sir Matt Busby Player of the Year award despite missing the start of the campaign. He's been brilliant since
BREAKING into the side. United are a better team when Mainoo plays and he might start for England at Euro 2024, which would be a remarkable achievement considering he only turns 19 in a few weeks. However, there's a small possibility United could be without Mainoo for their trip to Brentford on Saturday night and it would be a huge blow for him to be absent from the squad. United released training photos on Thursday and Mainoo wasn't present. Ten Hag was asked for an update in the second half of his press conference and said: "Yesterday he skipped training because he was ill. I don’t know [if he will be fit for Brentford]. We hope. Today he is there [in training], not fully recovered but we still have many hours before tomorrow with kick-off at 8pm." Mainoo enjoyed a special international break. (Image: Eddie Keogh - The FA/The FA via Getty Images.) When asked about his impact for England, Ten Hag said: "I thought it was very good but we are not surprised. We know what he is capable of, he can very quickly adapt to high levels. "It looks very natural and we are very happy for him. Of course, it's great for the academy to bring up a player so young going into the national team, it's a big compliment for the whole club. For himself because he did it but also all the ones who worked with him during his time in the academy, it's very good news for
Manchester United." Mainoo taking part in training on Friday suggests he'll be available, despite Ten Hag claiming he didn't know whether he would fly down to
London with the squad for the game. Should he not be deemed fit enough to play, which seems unlikely, he would be sorely missed because he brings composure and quality to the centre of the pitch. There have been countless examples of Mainoo being the most composed in a red shirt over the last few months and he's become a key cog in a team that struggles to control games. He is needed against Brentford and fans will hope to see him get off the team bus.