The Man Utd star started on the bench again as his side were beaten by Manchester City in the Premier League.
The greatest criticism of Ruben Amorim at Manchester United is not necessarily his devotion to a flawed formation, but the fact that the system he uses neglects the best players already at his disposal.
Amorim was backed with £225 million to overhaul his first-team squad in the summer transfer window, yet more costly to United could be the repercussions of playing Bruno Fernandes and Amad Diallo out of position, and Kobbie Mainoo playing rarely at all.
In the weekend defeat to Man City, Fernandes was sacrificed in the central midfield role that limits his influence on matches, and Mainoo was made to watch from the bench as his side fell two goals behind. He was an unused substitute for matches against Arsenal and Fulham and only featured from the bench against Burnley after injury to Mason Mount.
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Amorim would have justification to overlook Mainoo if there was a convincing central midfield pairing ahead of him in the pecking order, but it feels like the 20-year-old is a last resort for the head coach, the final throw of a dice when he has tried everyone else instead.
United's midfield was a huge issue last season, and it has gotten even weaker since Fernandes has been repurposed there to fill a role he isn't suited to. The Portuguese playmaker remains their most influential player, but is at his best as an attacking midfielder with the freedom to take risks, rather than a deeper lying option who has to defend as much as he attacks and play it safe.
City dominated the crucial midfield battle on Sunday afternoon, in terms of both numbers and personnel, and it was not until Mainoo was introduced after the hour mark that United finally got a grip back on the game.
His brilliance was summarised in a six-second clip when he used his physicality to help Matthijs De Ligt win back possession from Savinho, cut inside Phil Foden, and then poked the ball between the legs of Nico Gonzalez to open up space in central midfield. Pep Guardiola's reaction was to place both of his hands on his head in disbelief at what the United midfielder had just done, while United fans watched on in disbelief that Mainoo had been underutilised yet again.
The fact that Amorim's formation only utilises two central midfielders puts extra pressure on them to be able to perform to a high standard, and it already appears to be a mistake that the position was not addressed in the summer window. United are expected to be in the market for at least two central midfielders next year, and they must convince Mainoo he should be part of their future, so they don't have to replace him as well.
"I believe in him a lot," Amorim insisted ahead of the Man City clash. "He is a top player. But some of you think that Kobbie Mainoo is already done [a complete player]. I think he can do so much better. For some guys [talent] is enough, but for him it is not. Maybe it's not fair, but I think I'm helping Kobbie and that's it."
Amorim is correct that Mainoo is not the complete player, but it doesn't mean he is not the most complete midfield player at their disposal, either. The academy graduate is often caught out of position and doesn't offer enough defensive protection, but those two flaws could be masked if he were utilised in central midfield alongside Casemiro instead.
There is no other central midfielder at the club who marries physicality and finesse quite like Mainoo, and the criticism of him needing to do 'so much better' is redundant when the same can be said about every other midfielder in their squad too. He, at the very least, represents the untapped potential of this United squad and deserves to be given the same trust that other players have been granted under Amorim, even when their level of performance has been just as inconsistent.
Amorim is adamant he won't change his philosophy, but he could pay for his job if he does not change the way he sets up in midfield. Mainoo does not deserve special treatment; he just deserves the same opportunities that others are being given instead. You only had to look at Guardiola's reaction to see that.
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