Man Utd suffer another injury blow with Kobbie Mainoo return date revealed

Kobbie Mainoo is expected to be sidelined for up to six weeks in another major injury blow for Manchester United.

Ruben Amorim’s side limped into Sunday’s Premier League clash against Tottenham reeling from a fresh set of injury problems – chiefly the ankle injury that has ended Amad Diallo’s season.

United were also without Mainoo, Manuel Ugarte, Toby Collyer and Christian Eriksen for that 1-0 defeat in north London with Casemiro starting his first game since December alongside Bruno Fernandes in midfield.

United named seven academy youngsters on their bench alongside 18-year-old Ayden Heaven, signed from Arsenal in January, with Victor Lindelof the sole senior option.

With Lisandro Martinez also out for the season and Luke Shaw, Jonny Evans and Mason Mount still absent, Amorim’s options are thin on the ground.

And the Portuguese coach now looks set to be without Mainoo for an extended period with the Mail reporting the England international is likely to be unavailable until April.

That timeline rules the 19-year-old out of Premier League games against Everton, Ipswich, Arsenal, Leicester City and possibly the trip to Nottingham Forest on 1 April.

That run will also include the FA Cup fifth round meeting against Fulham and Europa League ties against an opponent to be determined at the round of 16 draw later this week.

That injury will also likely see Mainoo miss out on Thomas Tuchel’s first England squad in March against Albania and Latvia.

Mainoo has struggled to replicate last season’s thrilling form this term. He has started 15 of United’s 25 league matches with Amorim utltising him in roles further up the pitch to varying success.

The teen shone in one of the two no10 roles behind the striker in the Europa League victory against FSCB but a false nine experiment against Crystal Palace did not go to plan.

United have not disclosed the exact nature of the injury but Amorim did suggest on Friday it was not a season-ending issue which has sidelined his teammate Diallo.

‘I think Kobbie [Mainoo] is out [against Everton]. Amad is out, for sure, I think until the end of season,’ the United boss said.

‘Amad was alone [when he got injured]. He was doing a tackle. The feet were stuck in the grass.

‘Some players felt sickness during training. We will try everything to have the players fit. I was always asking for one week. In one week, we lost so many players.

‘We have one moment when everything is going wrong.’

Asked whether Mainoo’s injury is expected to keep him out of action for months rather than weeks, Amorim replied: ‘I don’t know, let’s see. I think weeks.’

Amorim will be expected to provide an update on Ugarte and Collyer later this week ahead of the trip to Everton.