Kobbie Mainoo snubbed! Man Utd starlet 'unlikely' to receive senior England call-up for March friendlies despite starring at Old Trafford

Posted Thursday, March 14, 2024 by Goal.com

Manchester United youngster Kobbie Mainoo is unlikely to receive an England call-up on Thursday despite his stellar form at Old Trafford.

WHAT HAPPENED?
Gareth Southgate is set to name his England squad for the upcoming friendlies against Brazil and Belgium on March 23 and March 26 respectively. Per Sky's Rob Dorsett, however, Mainoo is set to be overlooked, despite making 19 senior appearances for United this season at the age of 18. He will instead be promoted to the Under-21s for the first time, with the FA well aware of his status as a "key prospect".

THE BIGGER PICTURE
Mainoo has won six caps for England's U19 team and has also been capped at both U17 and U18 level. The midfielder is eligible to play for Ghana as well, but Dorsett reports that the FA are keen to "fast-track" the teenager to ensure he commits to representing the Three Lions.

DID YOU KNOW?
Ghana have already made it clear that they would love to have Mainoo play for them, as they consider a wide breadth of players in their national pool, but no decision has yet been taken. In November, though, he captained England's U18s to a 3-2 win over Japan.

WHAT NEXT?
England's squad announcement will take place on Thursday as preparations intensify ahead of this sunmmer's European Championship. United are next in action against Liverpool on Sunday in a high-stakes FA Cup quarter-final.