Kobbie Mainoo had an impressive pre-season for Manchester United before an injury against Real Madrid led to a setback for the midfielder.
The teenager was arguably the Man of the Match in victories against Lyon, Arsenal and Leeds United before Erik ten Hag trusted him to start alongside United’s first-team regulars again against Los Blancos.
However, his game was cut short in the opening minutes of the game after a collision between Casemiro and Rodrygo led to the Brazilian winger tumbling into Mainoo.
His ankle injury has kept him out of the opening five games of the season but a return is now in sight after the English midfielder was pictured on the grass at Carrington on Tuesday working individually.
Since then, information from social media account ‘Insider United‘ has claimed that the teenager’s return to action is at least two weeks away. Whilst the complete accuracy of the account’s information is not completely known, they were the first to report on Aaron Wan-Bissaka’s extended layout and Raphael Varane’s absence from the Bayern Munich game.
This would mean that the earliest return for the youngster could be the fixture against Brentford at Old Trafford on 7 October. However, it is likely that Ten Hag will provide Mainoo with additional time to put him back into the first-team spotlight.
Fortunately, there is yet another international break after that clash and United’s next game comes against Sheffield United two weeks later.
United are also likely to have Sofyan Amrabat and Mason Mount available soon which should boost the midfield in a situation where both Casemiro and Christian Eriksen are struggling for form.
Mainoo’s eventual return will be much-anticipated by supporters after his positive contributions in pre-season. His attributes are unique amongst the midfielders available to Ten Hag and could push forward into a regular first-team role this term.
“I was really impressed with him,” United legend Bryan Robson stated whilst speaking about Mainoo on MUTV’s The Debate show during pre-season. “I haven’t seen too much of him but I was really impressed with him against a team like Arsenal – he’s not a kid that comes into the team as a central midfield player and just goes chasing about, trying to impress the manager and all that.
“He’s calculated and he’s reading the game, doing things in his own time. He closes down really well, receives the ball and changes the pattern of the game, quickens it up when he wants to and he’s using his football brain and I’m quite impressed with him on first impressions.”
Player Ratings: Liverpool 3-1 West Ham, the Red Devils destroyed the Hammers
Liverpool were once again excellent, claiming a third consecutive 3-1 win – and fourth victory in seven games this season – this time against West Ham.
Liverpool 3-1 West Ham
Goal:
Pen Salah 16′, Nunez 60′, Jota 85′; Bowen 42′
Alisson – 7 (out of 10)
Returning from midweek duty for Caoimhin Kelleher, Alisson came straight into the field with a huge save needed to deny Tomas Soucek following an error by Alexis Mac Allister.
He easily wiped out another half chance and will be disappointed to see another clean sheet, which there was little he could do after Jarrod Bowen’s diving header.
Joe Gomez – 8
Proving himself to be an effective replacement when Trent Alexander-Arnold is recovering from a hamstring injury, Gomez’s task is less confusing this time around as he plays more in the traditional right-back position.
Some of his smarter runs were overlooked by his teammates, but he was still valuable as a layered presence, while also being solid defensively, winning 89% of his duels according to FotMob.
Joel Matip – 7
Making a surprise start in the lineup that many people expected, Matip replaced Ibrahima Konate and overcame Michail Antonio’s challenge excellently.
He has little left to do as the game progresses, but that won’t detract from his form; He came in and did really well.
Virgil van Dijk – 8
Van Dijk looked calm and composed alongside Matip at the back, but fell behind when West Ham equalized in the first half through Bowen.
However, as the game unfolded more in front of him, he felt much more comfortable, dominating in the air – and the captain had an assist as Diogo Jota made it 3-1 at the end of the match.
Andy Robertson – 7
With his role now more clearly defined, any questions about failing to sign a new left-back this summer appear to have been answered with a very positive start to the campaign from Robertson. There may be concerns about the number of fouls he committed – a match-high – especially as James Ward-Prowse’s set-pieces were West Ham’s main outlet.
Alexis Mac Allister – 8 (player of the match)
It says a lot about Jurgen Klopp’s faith in Wataru Endo that the coach wants Mac Allister to learn in the No. 6 position, but an early error that gave Soucek an opportunity showed there is still work to do.
However, he performed admirably in the match, with his determination to win the ball back and his invention when holding the ball in the middle keeping Liverpool in control, including an assist excellently helped Darwin Nunez raise the score to 2-1.
Dominik Szoboszlai – 7
A veteran of the Premier League, Szoboszlai made the move from Leipzig to Liverpool look easy, operating on the left and right of midfield against West Ham as he and Curtis Jones exchanged freely.
He is certainly calmer than he has been in recent matches, although he still presides over his contests with composure and skill, with more touches of the ball than any other player (102 ).
Curtis Jones – 7
Alongside Szoboszlai, Jones maintained control and structure by alternating between central midfield roles and making a smart run to combine with the number 8 to score a disallowed goal.
He was heavily involved in possession, with his persistence a key factor in helping Liverpool change momentum after half-time.
A worthy starter is preparing for a big challenge in Ryan Gravenberch, who replaced him after 13 minutes.
Mohamed Salah – 8
It has now been 13 consecutive games in which Salah has scored or assisted at least one goal – or 18 including Liverpool’s pre-season friendlies – with the number 11 at his best.
He should have also left the field with an assist, but Nunez missed after a superb display of strength and skill from his compatriot. Confidence is overflowing in Salah at this moment. An excellent player still in his prime.
Luis Diaz – 6
Brilliant, bold and direct, Diaz is often a shining light in Liverpool’s attack, and his willingness to chase down failures and claim the ball whenever possible is reminiscent of Sadio Mané.
His influence waned as the second half wore on, perhaps unsurprisingly given that he played 90 minutes at LASK and was then recalled for another 80 minutes three days later.
Darwin Nuñez – 7
A popular choice to keep his place up front, Nunez did well from the start and it was his touch that won Salah the penalty. He missed a big chance following excellent work from Salah shortly after the restart, but then converted a much more difficult chance that minute, a brilliant finish from the line Mac Allister’s high ball.
Perhaps he let these failures affect him earlier in his Liverpool career, Nunez now uses them as motivation.
Substitute
Ryan Gravenberch (replacing Jones, 77′) – 6 – Quiet presence from a player who shined midweek.
Diogo Jota (replacing Diaz, 80′) – 7 – In just 10 minutes, he scored his second goal of the season.
Cody Gakpo (replacing Nunez, 80′) – 6 – Moved and saw a solid effort saved.
Wataru Endo (on Mac Allister, 88′) – N/A
Unused subs:
Kelleher, Konate, Quansah, Tsimikas, Elliott
Jurgen Klopp – 9
Klopp made eight changes from the team that beat LASK on Thursday night, with Van Dijk, Diaz and Nunez the only players retained at Anfield.
So it’s close to his strongest line-up, with the decision to reward Diaz and Nunez with successive smart starts as they build on their sharp form.
There may have been concerns about both accumulating minutes as the second half wore on – they had played 90 minutes just three days earlier – but Klopp used his bench very late.
This was largely due to the options available to him, as demonstrated by Jota, who came on and scored to claim all three points.
Definition of player rating:
10 = Perfect | 9 = Excellent | 8 = Very good | 7 = Good | 6 = Average | 5 = Below normal | 4 = Bad | 3 = Very bad | 2 Horrible | 1 = Definitely not
Player ratings definitions:
10 = Faultless | 9 = Excellent | 8 = Very Good | 7 = Good | 6 = Average | 5 = Below Par | 4 = Bad | 3 = Very Bad | 2 Awful | 1 = Surely Not