Manchester United midfielder Kobbie Mainoo was overlooked once again by Thomas Tuchel in England's final World Cup group stage clash against Panama. Tuchel brought on Jordan Henderson in the 84th minute, yet Mainoo remained an unused substitute throughout.
Henderson's Inclusion Proves Contentious
Henderson's inclusion in England's World Cup squad had already proved contentious. The 36-year-old made his return to the Premier League when he put pen to paper for Brentford last year, following spells at Ajax and Al-Ettifaq. Mainoo worked tirelessly to earn his place in the England squad, making it all the more frustrating that he has yet to see a single minute of action.
The Stockport-born midfielder is one of just three outfield players in the squad - alongside Trevoh Chalobah and Ivan Toney - yet to set foot on the pitch.
Mainoo's Season of Resilience
Mainoo did not feature in a Premier League starting line-up for United until Ruben Amorim was sacked in January. Michael Carrick wasted no time in restoring him to the side, and his dazzling form throughout the second half of the season was enough to secure his spot in England's World Cup squad.
Casting his mind back to the difficult opening months of his campaign, Mainoo told England reporters in the USA: "I mean, obviously there were difficult times. But I tried to keep my focus on what was in front of me, take things day by day and just keep working my craft, keep working hard for the team, and I hoped the rest would come. Thankfully it has."
When quizzed on whether Carrick deserved some of the credit for his World Cup call-up, he said: "Definitely, and I told him that I was very grateful. Because if he hadn't put me on the pitch, then I wouldn't have been here so, I'm always grateful to him for that."
United Players Feeling Hard Done By
Harry Maguire was the first United player to feel aggrieved at his treatment from Tuchel after being left out of the World Cup squad entirely. But now Mainoo can start to feel pretty hard done by too.
Henderson proved a valuable asset for Brentford last season, yet anyone who watched both him and Mainoo in the Premier League would surely question why he was chosen ahead of the Manchester United youngster against Panama.
Leadership vs. Future Potential
The former Liverpool midfielder has been selected for the leadership qualities he brings to the dressing room, and is widely reported to share a close bond with Jude Bellingham. Nevertheless, he represents England's past, while Mainoo looks set to be a cornerstone of their future.
Tuchel made clear that Mainoo had a genuine part to play at the World Cup during his opening press conference of the tournament. "The squad has a significant number of players that will compete for starting minutes and starting places, which also gives us the chance to rotate on a high level and a significant number of players who carry the sporting responsibility on the highest level," he said. "We have a huge chunk of youthfulness in the squad. We have six players who have won titles with the under-21s. We have Kobbie, who is still young and has won his titles and we have Nico O'Reilly on top, who is young and already won his medals."
Mainoo has remained on the bench throughout, while O'Reilly has started two matches and featured as a substitute in the other.
Irony of Mainoo's Absence
The irony is that Mainoo possesses precisely the qualities that could have proved invaluable to England in their matches against Panama and Ghana - particularly the latter, where they found themselves frustratingly unable to break down a resolute defensive block. It was a puzzling sight to see Henderson take to the pitch ahead of Mainoo. Perhaps Tuchel will make amends by unleashing him from the substitutes' bench in the knockout stages.
