Manchester United midfielder Kobbie Mainoo has been pictured back in training ahead of the club’s crucial Europa League meeting with Lyon.
United are set to face Lyon on Thursday at Parc Olympique Lyonnais for the first leg of their quarter-final tie, in what is shaping up to be a season-defining clash for Ruben Amorim and his players.
The Red Devils have endured a wretched campaign and are currently languishing in 13th place in the Premier League table with seven games left to play. Securing a top-half finish now looks unlikely, making the Europa League their best hope for silverware and a chance to salvage some pride.
As an added bonus, United will qualify for the Champions League if they manage to win the competition.
The stakes couldn’t be higher, but both United and Amorim have received a significant boost ahead of their clash with Lyon, as Mainoo has returned to training.
Steven Railston of the Manchester Evening News shared a photo of Mainoo on X, showing the midfielder among the group that trained at Carrington on Wednesday morning.
Kobbie Mainoo is back in training this morning. He lasted played against Leicester on February 7 #mufc pic.twitter.com/Vch0krKIA0
— Steven Railston (@StevenRailston) April 9, 2025
Breaking: new haircut for Kobbie Mainoo pic.twitter.com/KPfguXPDDT
— Steven Railston (@StevenRailston) April 9, 2025
The 19-year-old has not played in two months but could be back in the matchday squad when United face Lyon.
Mainoo last featured in competitive action during United’s win over Leicester City on February 7. He has been out of action since then due to a calf injury.
However, it’s not all good news for United. Railston notes that Matthijs de Ligt, who missed the derby after rolling his ankle in the defeat to Nottingham Forest, did not train with his teammates.
Ayden Heaven was also absent from the training session on Wednesday as he continues with his recovery from an injury picked up just before the March international break.
Toby Collyer is another who missed training, and according to MEN, this is because the youngster suffered a knock.
Jonny Evans, Amad Diallo and Lisandro Martinez remain absent.
Lyon vs. United kicks off at 20:00 BST.
Featured image Vasili Mihai-Antonio via Getty Images
Follow us on Bluesky: @peoplesperson.bsky.social
Derick Kinoti
Derick Kinoti is a football writer at The Peoples Person who has covered Manchester United and the game extensively for many years. He is a keen analyst with expertise in SEO and journalism standards. Derick is convinced Wayne Rooney is the true GOAT and won’t hear otherwise!
