Manchester United boss Erik ten Hag will be sweating over the fitness of midfielder Kobbie Mainoo after he left Thursday’s pre-season friendly against Real Madrid on crutches. The 18-year-old was forced off early as United fell to a 2-0 defeat at the NRG Stadium in Houston.
Ten Hag retained faith in Mainoo after a string of impressive pre-season outings, starting him in midfield alongside Casemiro and Bruno Fernandes.
But just six minutes into the friendly against Real, Casemiro brought down Rodrygo as he charged towards United’s goal, and the Brazilian collided with Mainoo on his way down.
It turned a dream scenario against one of the world’s best midfielders into a nightmare for the highly-rated teenager.
And to make matters worse, Jude Bellingham pounced while United were down to 10 men as Christian Eriksen waited to enter the pitch to fire Real into an early lead.
Joselu added a late second with a sensational overhead kick, recording Ten Hag’s senior squad’s first defeat of pre-season.
And concerns intensified after full-time when pictures emerged on social media of Mainoo leaving the stadium on crutches wearing a protective boot.
In his post-match press conference, Ten Hag insisted Mainoo would receive more opportunities this season regardless of how serious the issue may be.
“I understand the question [what the injury was]. But you can never tell straight after a game. We have to wait for what it is,” Ten Hag told reporters.
“So, hopefully, it’s not too bad and then chances will come. I wanted to see what levels he could play. Against Arsenal, we were pleased with his performance.
“I wanted to see if he could repeat that some days after. From then, we would have conclusions. First, we have to wait for the diagnosis and from there on, we will set conclusions.”
United conclude their pre-season tour of the United States against Borussia Dortmund in Las Vegas on Monday.
Back-to-back games against Lens at Old Trafford and Athletic Club in Bilbao next weekend follow before the Premier League campaign commences.
Mainoo will hope to participate in at least one of those fixtures as he pushes for a prominent role in Ten Hag’s plans this term.
Follow Daily Express on Threads for all the latest news
Stay connected with us on social media platform for instant update click here to join our Twitter, & Facebook
We are now on Telegram. Click here to join our channel (@TechiUpdate) and stay updated with the latest Technology headlines.
For all the latest Football News Click Here
