Kobbie Mainoo’s development as a Manchester United player can only be further enhanced if the England star spends more time with one teammate this season.
The 20-year-old Manchester United midfielder had a tough start to the 2025-26 campaign after Ruben Amorim dropped him from his role in the starting XI.
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Kobbie Mainoo during the Premier League match between Arsenal and Manchester United at the Emirates Stadium in 2026 in London, England.
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Kobbie Mainoo only started one match in all competitions under Ruben Amorim this season before the former United manager was dismissed from his post this month.
The arrival of Michael Carrick as interim head coach has now breathed new life into Mainoo, who has restored his place in the United starting XI in the Premier League.
Mainoo made his first Premier League start of the season in the Manchester derby earlier this month, with Man Utd beating Manchester City 2-0 at Old Trafford.
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Kobbie Mainoo during the Premier League match between Arsenal and Manchester United at the Emirates Stadium in 2026 in London, England.
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Kobbie Mainoo’s dynamic with Casemiro has already been explained for its importance by a former Man Utd manager
Following Manchester United’s result against Manchester City, Kobbie Mainoo retained his place in the starting XI for the Premier League tie against Arsenal.
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Man Utd’s 3-2 win over Arsenal saw Mainoo once again partner alongside Casemiro in the two-man midfield pivot under Michael Carrick’s tactics for the Red Devils.
Mainoo made his breakthrough into the United first-team squad under Erik ten Hag, who had relied on Casemiro as one of his key midfield picks during his reign.
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During the 2023-24 Premier League season, Erik ten Hag insisted that Mainoo could learn a lot from Casemiro’s calmness, composure and ability to see a vertical pass.
“He [Casemiro] is always a step ahead of his opponent and breaks lines,” he said in 2023, as per Goal.
“We talk just about the offensive, how they have to serve, but then Casemiro is a very important player for our game, so we’re happy he’s back.
“For Kobbie Mainoo, he can learn a lot from it and that togetherness, that bond… also Kobbie is very coachable and Casemiro has so much experience.
“Kobbie will learn a lot from it and that can even accelerate his development. So yeah, I’m happy to have him back and when they can play together, I think they can take benefits from each other.”
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Kobbie Mainoo must absorb Casemiro’s influence like a sponge amid the clock ticking for the Man Utd and Brazil midfielder
Mainoo and Brazil international Casemiro are only Man Utd teammates for 15 more league matches in the 2025-26 Premier League season at Old Trafford.
Casemiro and United confirmed last week that the 33-year-old Brazilian midfielder would be leaving the Premier League club in the summer.
The former Real Madrid star’s contract expires in June and Casemiro is currently free to speak with clubs outside of England amid the January transfer window.
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A wealth of midfield knowledge, Casemiro’s presence at Man Utd is something that Mainoo must mop up like a sponge at every moment he can over the next five months.
Mainoo is tipped as the future of the United midfield and his development can only be aided by the invaluable advice that he can pick up from the ex-Los Blancos ace.
Erik ten Hag might not have been right about everything, but the Dutchman wasn’t wrong with the benefits that Mainoo could yield from the presence of Casemiro.
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