Kobbie Mainoo is the only player in the England squad who has not played a single minute at the 2026 World Cup. In a total of 8 matches, Thomas Tuchel has made a series of substitutions but not even 1 minute for the Man United star. More strangely, in the press conference after the semi-final defeat to Argentina, the German strategist said the main reason for the defeat was that the "Three Lions" could not hold the ball after leading 1-0. Speaking of ball control ability, Mainoo may be much better than many people in the current "Three Lions" squad.
Kobbie Mainoo is probably wondering if Thomas Tuchel's call-up to the national team is really just a feeling of being forced to do so? In the second half of last season, the young Man United midfielder played very actively, contributing to the team's success. Further back in EURO 2024, when Mainoo was trusted by Gareth Southgate, he started in the final and made Rodri on the Spanish side spend a lot of effort to control the ball in midfield. Previously in the FA Cup 2024 final, Mainoo played very well in that Manchester Derby, directly scoring 1 goal to seal the final score 2-1 for the "Red Devils".
Mainoo may have planned to return to Carrington early, so the reason he did not participate in the third-place match was due to injury. With only being a supporting role as a sparring partner on the training ground for nearly 1 month, plus a few weeks of break before the 2026 World Cup, Mainoo's fitness will be guaranteed and that is very good news for Manchester United. Mainoo is expected to gather on August 10 to prepare for the friendly match with Leeds 2 days later in Ireland.
Also in this period, Man United fans will see the return of Marcus Rashford after a period playing for Barcelona on loan. Last season was quite impressive for Rashford when he did not play too well in Spain. At the 2026 World Cup, the Man United star scored 1 goal against Croatia, plus 1 assist in the match against France.
Rashford's performance at the 2026 World Cup shows that he still maintained his playing rhythm when playing for Barca last season. The 28-year-old striker played 223 minutes spanning 6 matches at the recent World Cup and he also has 3 weeks to rest like Mainoo. From now until then, if no team offers to buy Rashford, or Barcelona does not activate the buyout clause of 30 million Euros, "Doctor" will officially join the team and prepare for the new season.
In recent weeks, Rashford's return to Man United to play in the 2026-27 season has been questioned because the team is interested in Cryensio Summerville. However, in the latest updated information about the West Ham star, it is likely that he will join Al-Hilal to play in the Saudi Pro League. If Summerville is not available and no other target has been found, Man United may consider letting Rashford be a rotating substitute for Matheus Cunha.
The most worrying thing for Rashford is his too high salary, up to 325,000 pounds/week after Man United returned to the Champions League. Not only that, the striker's return to Old Trafford is not necessarily welcomed by fans after statements like "splashing water" with the managing club.
Cunha has worn jersey number 10, so it can no longer belong to Rashford. He can choose jersey number 14 as at Barcelona because this number still has no owner at Carrington. Man United will consider this case very carefully, because if they can take advantage of Rashford's remaining peak period, the Manchester team will still benefit in 1-2 years before considering selling completely.
Man United will have 6 pre-season friendly matches to prepare for the Premier League 2026-27 opening day. After a 0-1 defeat to Wrexham, they will meet Rosenborg this weekend in Norway.
