‘He’s In A Good Place’! Kobbie Mainoo Back In Training Ahead Of United’s Cup Encounter Against Brighton

Last Updated:January 10, 2026, 11:33 IST

The 20-year-old midfielder, who picked up a calf injury last month ahead of United’s win over Newcastle and sat out the side’s draws against Wolves and Leeds, returned to training.

Manchester United’s Kobbie Mainoo (X)

Manchester United interim boss Darren Fletcher opened up on promising youngster Kobbie Mainoo’s fitness and involvement ahead of the Red Devils’ game against Brighton on Sunday.

The 20-year-old English midfielder, who picked up a calf injury last month ahead of United’s win over Newcastle and sat out the side’s draws against Wolves and Leeds, is back in raining, Fletcher confirmed.

“He’s in a good place, he’s trained well and as I said, he’s hard to read Kobe, so that remains to be seen,” said Fletcher.

United stand seventh in the league with 32 points from 21 games thus far this season and the Scot opined that the Red Devils need to find ways to get over the line during games.

Fletcher also defended the side’s academy, which has produced a humber of stars for the Red Devils over the years, including Fletcher himself, after former coach Ruben Amorim had opined that the players from the famous Carrington had a sense of entitlement.

Fletcher, who has helmed the United U-18 side since July, underscored the importance of the academy in the context of the club’s success in the past and how it remains to be a deeply enshrined part of the club’s ethos.

“Historically, this club’s built around the academy, we’ve got an amazing academy,” Fletcher said.

United have the distinction of having an academy graduate in every single one of their macthday squads since the year 1937.

“Our record speaks for itself,” the 42-year-old continued.

“I’m not going to stand here and say anything other than that. We’ve got an amazing record. I think it’s hard to beat in terms of the history of clubs around the world,” the former midfielder said.

“I think we’ve got some amazing players, some amazing talents. I think what I see is a lot of hard-working, humble young players who aren’t perfect because they’re young and they’re learning and they’ve got a lot to do,” he added.

Read More