England[1] Under-21s are ready to offer Kobbie Mainoo[2] a chance to play after boss Lee Carsley[3] reached out to the Manchester United[4] midfielder.
Mainoo is out of favour at his club right now and that has seen him miss out on a senior international call-up for games against Wales and Latvia.
The 20-year-old, who has 10 senior England caps, the last of which arrived in September 2024, has had just 113 minutes of Premier League[5] football this season and knows his hopes of going to the World Cup next summer hinge on playing between now and June.
Asked if Mainoo and Crystal Palace[6]‘s Adam Wharton[7], a shock midfield omission by Thomas Tuchel[8], could drop back into the Under-21s, Carsley would not rule it out.
‘No, they’re definitely in consideration,’ Carsley explained.
‘They’re in the senior bracket. I think it’s fair to say that they’re more senior end than 21s end. But I think there’s always the option.
Kobbie Mainoo (left) could move back down to England Under-21s after talks with Lee Carsley
‘I’ve got in contact with both of them. So they’re players that are highly rated within the system.
‘I think it’s one that we just assess every camp. I’m sure they’re both pitching to being in the senior team.’
Mainoo and Wharton are widely viewed as two of the most technically talented young midfielders England has produced in a number of years.
But in Mainoo’s case in particular, a lack of minutes under Ruben Amorim at Manchester United is severely hampering his case to get back in the reckoning with England’s seniors.
Game-time is another area of concern for Jobe Bellingham, another hugely talented midfielder that is finding himself underused since joining Borussia Dortmund in the summer.
Bellingham has played more than 30 minutes in just three of his nine matches at Dortmund, often finding himself restricted to 10-minute cameos off the bench.
‘It’s the same to all of the players,’ Carsley added.
Jobe Bellingham (left) is another player who is struggling for minutes with his club this season
‘We pick them because they’re either playing really well at their clubs or we feel that they’ve got high potential.
‘So we can’t dictate their playing time, what the clubs give them or the minutes that they play.
‘But what we can do is, I can do that when they’re here with us. So I’ll make sure that they get well looked after and they get their minutes and hopefully send them back to their clubs in a strong position.’
References
- ^ England (www.dailymail.co.uk)
- ^ Kobbie Mainoo (www.dailymail.co.uk)
- ^ Lee Carsley (www.dailymail.co.uk)
- ^ Manchester United (www.dailymail.co.uk)
- ^ Premier League (www.dailymail.co.uk)
- ^ Crystal Palace (www.dailymail.co.uk)
- ^ Adam Wharton (www.dailymail.co.uk)
- ^ Thomas Tuchel (www.dailymail.co.uk)