John Obi Mikel was left astounded after watching Kobbie Mainoo in action against Brentford last weekend.
The Manchester United starlet was benched for the sixth Premier League game in a row by Ruben Amorim, only entering the fold in the 66th minute in place of Harry Maguire.
It marked Mainoo’s sixth appearance of the campaign so far after he was an unused substitute for the opening two matches.
Mainoo facing an uphill battle to reclaim starting spot
His lengthiest cameo yet came in the win over Burnley on August 30 when he replaced the injured Mason Mount at the interval, while he has yet to be granted even a half-hour cameo in the subsequent three outings.
In fact, against Chelsea, Mainoo played just three minutes, coming off the bench in the very dying embers to help his teammates waste some time before securing a much-needed win.
The 20-year-old has now totalled 100 minutes of top-flight action in 2025/2026, which is almost certain to have him mulling over his future and whether it lies away from Old Trafford.
Fans will recall that Mainoo asked to leave the club on loan in the final week of the window when it became clear he would not be playing a prominent role, but saw his requests fall on deaf ears in the United hierarchy.
However, it’s thought he will again push for a move in January if his situation hasn’t changed.
Obi Mikel dumbfounded by changes he’s seeing in Mainoo
To make matters more deflating for the Carrington graduate, he came under fire for conceding possession late on in the Bees defeat, allowing Mathias Jensen to eventually capitalise with a stellar finish to rub further salt in United’s wounds by making it 3-1.
Obi Mikel reacted to the display, as well as Mainoo’s current crisis, on his podcast, saying: “What has happened to Kobbie Mainoo? What has happened to that kid? What has happened to that kid? Doesn’t fancy him. I watched him when he came on the pitch.
“[He is] a shadow of who he was when he burst into the scene. A shadow of who he was, Kobbie Mainoo. [He] was at fault for the second goal or [the] third goal.
“He looked heavy. He looked like he didn’t know what he was doing, Kobbie Mainoo.”
