Thomas Tuchel Confirms Kobbie Mainoo's Back Injury Ahead of Manchester United Season

Kobbie Mainoo was sidelined from England’s World Cup bronze match against France due to a sharp back pain sustained during training, according to Thomas Tuchel.

Tuchel made significant squad rotations for the third-place play-off, giving playing time to several fringe players as England secured a 6-4 victory.

Despite expectations that Mainoo would feature in Miami, the young midfielder did not appear on the team sheet and had not played any minutes throughout the tournament.

FIFA listed Mainoo as injured on the official teamsheet, while Jordan Henderson, who had suffered a wrist fracture after the last-16 win over Mexico, was included among the substitutes. The Football Association also confirmed Mainoo’s injury status.

Tuchel provided further details on Mainoo’s condition, stating that the 21-year-old sustained the back issue during the final training session on Friday morning.

“Kobbie was injured in the last training session (on Friday) morning,” Tuchel said on Saturday. “He had a sharp pain in the back within the training and he was not ready to play.”

Fans have expressed disappointment over Mainoo’s absence during the World Cup. The midfielder ended the Premier League season strongly under Michael Carrick and participated in pre-tournament friendlies, yet he did not feature in any World Cup matches despite difficulties faced by Declan Rice.

Mainoo appeared visibly dissatisfied with his limited role in the squad, often leaving the dressing room early after England’s matches, wearing a hood and headphones as he headed to the team bus.

Although injured, Mainoo attended the England versus France game in person.

Manchester United and Carrick face concerns about Mainoo’s fitness ahead of a challenging season that includes a return to the Champions League.

After a period of rest, Mainoo will rejoin training at Carrington as part of a revamped midfield, strengthened by the signings of Youri Tielemans and Andrey Santos, whose combined transfer fees are approximately £85 million.

In their opening pre-season friendly, Manchester United suffered a 1-0 defeat to Wrexham on Saturday.