Kobbie Mainoo has been left out of the Manchester United squad for the game against Leeds United with Manuel Ugarte replacing him in the starting XI
Kobbie Mainoo
Kobbie Mainoo has been ruled out of Manchester United's game against Leeds United(Image: James Marsh/Shutterstock)
View 2 Images
Kobbie Mainoo has been ruled out of Manchester United's game against Leeds United on Monday. The 20-year-old had started in each of United's previous 10 matches since Michael Carrick was appointed as the club's interim head coach in mid-January and has impressed in a midfield-two alongside Casemiro.
But Mainoo won't feature against Leeds after picking up a minor injury in training. United believed it was not worth risking the midfielder by including him in the squad with Manuel Ugarte replacing him in the XI.
When asked about Mainoo's absence in his pre-match interview, Carrick told Sky Sports: "Over the last day or so, Kobbie just had an issue in training. So it seems small but big enough to keep him out tonight. It wasn't worth the risk, to be honest, so we're hoping it's pretty small."
As well as Mainoo, Bryan Mbeumo, Harry Maguire and Diogo Dalot are the others that have dropped out of the XI from the 2-2 draw at Bournemouth last time out with Carrick making four changes.
Benjamin Sesko has come into the team up front, while Maguire's suspension has allowed for Lisandro Martinez to make his return from injury and Dalot has been replaced by Noussair Mazraoui.
Martinez's last United appearance came against West Ham on February 10, with the defender suffering an injury in the build-up to the win against Everton later that month. He was forced to miss five Premier League matches, but returned to full training last week and has been thrown straight back into the XI.
Bryan Mbeumo of Manchester United
Bryan Mbeumo has dropped out of the Manchester United starting XI(Image: Molly Darlington/Copa/Getty Images)
View 2 Images
Mbeumo, meanwhile, pulled out of international duty with Cameroon as a precaution. He took part in full training during a camp in the Republic of Ireland last week, but Carrick has named him on the bench for the first time.
United can extend the gap between them in third and sixth-place Chelsea to 10 points with a win against Leeds. That give them a major boost as they bid to gain qualification for next season's Champions League.
The Premier League are guaranteed FIVE places for Europe's elite club competition, but it could end up as six should Aston Villa finish fifth and win the Europa League.
Join our new MAN UTD WhatsApp community and receive your daily dose of Manchester United content from Mirror Football. We also treat our community members to special offers, promotions, and adverts from us and our partners. If you don't like our community, you can check out any time you like. If you're curious, you can read our Privacy Notice.
Content Image
Content Image