Berbatov: Man United star is learning the hard way how ‘cruel’ football can be amid harsh Ruben Amorim treatment

Dimitar Berbatov has empathised with Kobbie Mainoo as he continues navigating a reduced role at Manchester United this season.As things stand, the midfield starlet has fallen hugely out of favour throughout 2025/2026.Kobbie Mainoo: The state of play(Photo by Mike Hewitt/Getty Images)Ruben Amorim previously told the media that Mainoo would be directly vying with his captain, Bruno Fernandes, for a starting spot, and the Portuguese star is one of the most reliable players when it comes to injuries that the club have ever employed.As well as that, it’s incredibly rare for Fernandes to not see out the full 90 minutes. He’s been withdrawn on only two occasions this campaign: in the 87th minute against Chelsea and 85th minute of the win over Liverpool last month.Meanwhile, Mainoo’s lengthiest cameo since September was a 28-minute stint off the bench in the Manchester derby.He has been an unused substitute for three matches in total and missed out in Saturday’s trip to face Tottneham Hotspur due to injury.Why Mainoo could bide his time(Photo by George Wood/Getty Images)There are hopes among supporters that the forthcoming AFCON tournament, which is poised to leave United without key men Amad Diallo, Bryan Mbeumo and Noussair Mazraoui, could open the door for Mainoo to reclaim his place.That’s if he even sticks around that long, as reports continue to suggest that the 20-year-old will push to leave on loan in January, having had his summer transfer request rebuffed by INEOS chiefs.“It’s a very tough situation, especially for a young player,” Berbatov said of the situation to MailSport.“And it shows you how football can be a really cruel game at times because Kobbie Mainoo was playing, he reached the England national team, he was going up, up, and up. All of a sudden he is not being picked.“Now the question is, does he stay positive, patient, and wait for his moment again? Or he needs to move to a different place to play regularly to get his confidence back and come back to United and start playing more regularly?“I’d like to see him play because the talent is there to see, that decision-making, that calmness and arrogance which you need with the ball at your feet is there, even at his age. I like that. But at the moment, the manager doesn’t see something he can use from the first minute of the game.”