Major boost for Carrick as key star returns to training ahead of United’s showdown with Chelsea – report

A well-placed source has revealed Kobbie Mainoo’s chances of lining up for Manchester United in this weekend’s showdown clash with Chelsea for Champions League qualification. Mainoo was Missed Mainoo was sorely missed by the Red Devils in Monday night’s dismal 2-1 defeat to Leeds United at Old Trafford. The 21-year-old starlet picked up a knock in training over the weekend, forcing Michael Carrick to play the out-of-form Manuel Ugarte in his place – with predictably disastrous results. Daniel Farke’s men ran United ragged in a whitewash of a first half, with a 2-0 scoreline flattering the home side as Leeds racked up the highest xG at the ground since Liverpool’s 5-0 thrashing five years ago. The pairing of Casemiro and Ugarte were incapable of maintaining possession as the loss of Mainoo’s technical assuredness and ability in tight spaces was acutely felt. While there are still areas of his game the Carrington graduate must work on, as is natural for a young midfielder, it was a timely reminder of the lack of depth in United’s engine room. Things went from bad to worse in the second half after Carrick bizarrely opted against any changes at the interval, with Lisandro Martinez handed his marching orders for a controversial hair pull – judged violent conduct by a VAR review – on Dominic Calvert-Lewin. However, United actually significantly improved after going down to ten men, though Leeds retreating to maintain their two-goal lead was a factor in this upturn. A Casemiro header from Bruno Fernandes‘ superb cross, their sixth combined goal of the season, made it 2-1, before the Brazilian almost levelled proceedings with the exact same formula late in the match. But Leeds weathered the storm to emerge with a vital three points in their hunt for survival, while United fans were left rueing the absence of Mainoo and the failure to firmly secure Champions League qualification. Back in Contention Attention now turns to Saturday night’s clash with Chelsea as the Red Devils travel to Stamford Bridge to face Liam Rosenior’s misfiring side. The success of English teams in Europe in recent seasons has seen the Premier League awarded an extra spot for the Champions League next year, meaning a top five, rather than the traditional top four, finish will be enough for United to return to Europe’s elite competition. A win on the weekend would extend the gap in the table between the two clubs – United are third, Chelsea are sixth – to 10 points, while a loss would cut it down to four. Carrick will be without his three most experienced defenders, however, as Martinez and Harry Maguire are both suspended, while Matthijs de Ligt remains absent through injury. This makes the potential return of Mainoo a pivotal one to help stabilise the midfield, with an inside source revealing the England international “took part in training today and is in contention” to be part of the travelling squad to west London. It is understood the next 24 hours will prove key in determining his availability, with Carrick set to make the “final decision” tomorrow. Final Thoughts If United emerge victorious on Saturday night, they will have both hands firmly wrapped around their goal of securing Champions League football next season. And while Chelsea are in poor form themselves, the prospect of the spine of the side being unavailable is a worrying one for the Red Devils. Carrick can ill-afford to field a midfield partnership of Casemiro and Ugarte to protect an inexperienced duo like Ayden Heaven and Leny Yoro in central defence. But if you add a playmaker with the ability to retain possession and recycle the ball into the mix, this unpleasant picture becomes a lot more palatable. United simply need Mainoo fit for the weekend. Featured image Carl Recine via Getty Images The Peoples Person has been one of the world’s leading Man United news sites for over a decade. Follow us on Bluesky: @peoplesperson.bsky.social Darragh Fox Darragh is an editor for The Peoples Person who spent three years learning about the Cold War at the University of Sheffield slowly realising football was by far the most interesting thing to write about. Amad’s first touch should be officially recognised as the eighth wonder of the world.