Why Michael Carrick Is Benching Kobbie Mainoo at Manchester United.
Kobbie Mainoo’s recent situation at Manchester United has become one of the biggest talking points among supporters, especially because the midfielder has already shown under Michael Carrick that he can play an important role in the team. The decision to leave him out of the starting XI, or remove him during matches, has understandably generated questions, particularly when Mainoo has produced performances that suggest he deserves significant minutes.
However, the situation is more complicated than simply saying that Carrick no longer trusts him. In fact, the available evidence from this season shows that Carrick has praised Mainoo publicly and has repeatedly used him when he considers him the right option for the particular match.
Mainoo started Manchester United’s Premier League fixture against Everton, for example, with the club’s official team news confirming that he continued alongside Youri Tielemans in midfield after impressing in the previous 5-2 victory over Ipswich Town. Carrick had also described Mainoo’s performance in the Champions League victory over Sabah as “fantastic”, while emphasizing his influence on United’s games.
That makes the question even more interesting: if Carrick rates Mainoo so highly, why is the youngster sometimes being benched or substituted?
One explanation is tactical flexibility.
Carrick is not managing Manchester United with the idea that one midfield combination must remain unchanged regardless of the opponent. His selection decisions have shown that he wants different qualities from his midfield depending on the game state. Mainoo is particularly valuable when United need composure, ball retention and intelligent movement through midfield, but Carrick also has other midfielders competing for places.
Youri Tielemans, Casemiro, Mason Mount, Andrey Santos and other options give Carrick different profiles to work with. That means Mainoo can be an important player without automatically being guaranteed a starting place in every fixture.
This was visible during United’s Champions League victory over Sabah. Mainoo started the game and produced an impressive passing display, but Carrick replaced him after the hour mark with Andrey Santos. Rather than presenting the substitution as a punishment for Mainoo, Carrick explained that it was also about getting Santos and Mason Mount minutes.
That point is important because it demonstrates how squad management can influence selection.
Manchester United have a large group of midfielders who need playing time. Carrick cannot give every player 90 minutes in every match, particularly when the team has several competitions to navigate. When United have control of a match, taking Mainoo off can therefore be a way of protecting his minutes while simultaneously giving another midfielder an opportunity.
There is also the question of physical management.
Mainoo has had periods in his young career when his workload and availability have attracted attention. At this stage of his development, Carrick has to consider more than simply picking the eleven players that supporters believe are strongest on paper. The coaching staff have to manage training loads, recovery and match minutes.
This becomes even more relevant when Manchester United are dealing with a congested schedule.
Recent reports surrounding United’s international-break period have also mentioned Mainoo among players who withdrew from England duty, while the club arranged a behind-closed-doors friendly against Lausanne-Sport to provide minutes and assess the fitness of fringe and recently recovered players.
Therefore, a player not starting one particular match does not automatically mean he has fallen out of favour.
Another factor is the development of competition within United’s midfield.
Mainoo is no longer the only young midfielder fighting for opportunities. Andrey Santos is also competing for minutes, while established players such as Mount and Casemiro remain available. Carrick therefore has to make decisions based on what he wants the midfield to accomplish.
Mainoo’s greatest value comes from his ability to operate calmly under pressure and connect different phases of play. He can receive possession in tight areas, turn away from pressure and carry the ball forward. He also has an understanding of when to slow the game down and when to accelerate it.
Those qualities were particularly visible during his impressive performances under Carrick earlier in 2026. BBC Sport highlighted how Mainoo became a regular under Carrick after previously struggling for opportunities under Ruben Amorim.
That history makes it difficult to argue that Carrick simply does not rate Mainoo.
In fact, the evidence points in the opposite direction.
Carrick has already shown a willingness to put Mainoo into his preferred midfield structure. The problem for the youngster is that being trusted by the manager does not necessarily mean being untouchable.
There is also an important distinction between being benched before a game and being substituted during one.
When Mainoo is left on the bench, the decision may be based on the opponent, tactical shape, midfield balance or the need for another player’s specific qualities.
When Mainoo is substituted during a game, the decision can be completely different. The manager may be responding to the scoreline, trying to increase attacking creativity, protecting a player’s fitness or simply changing the rhythm of the match.
The controversy surrounding Mainoo’s substitution against Fulham demonstrated how quickly these decisions can become emotional for supporters. Mainoo was withdrawn late in the match, and sections of the travelling Manchester United support reacted negatively. Carrick subsequently explained that Mainoo had played well but that United were trying to make something happen at that stage of the game. He also said Mainoo understood the decision and that there was no issue between them.
That incident is significant because it shows the difference between how supporters interpret a substitution and how the manager may see it.
Fans may look at Mainoo’s performance and think, “He is playing well, so why take him off?”
The manager may instead be thinking, “We need a different profile of player for the final ten minutes.”
Both perspectives can exist without the substitution meaning that Mainoo has done something wrong.
There is also a wider tactical issue at Manchester United. Bruno Fernandes remains central to the team’s attacking structure, while Carrick has been trying to find the right midfield balance behind him. The midfield needs players capable of progressing the ball, protecting the defence and supporting the attack.
Mainoo can contribute to all three areas, but no midfielder can provide every quality at the same level.
For example, Casemiro offers experience and defensive positioning. Mount offers mobility and attacking connections. Tielemans offers passing range and technical control. Santos provides another physical and energetic option.
Mainoo therefore has to compete not only on individual quality but also on how well his characteristics fit the specific tactical plan.
This is perhaps the most important reason why supporters should not automatically interpret his benching as a sign that Carrick has lost faith in him.
Carrick’s own comments suggest otherwise.
After the Sabah victory, Carrick specifically praised Mainoo’s influence, his willingness to learn and his desire to improve. Those comments are difficult to reconcile with the idea that the manager simply does not want the midfielder in his team.
There is another possibility: Carrick may be trying to prevent Mainoo from becoming over-relied upon.
Mainoo is still a young player. Manchester United supporters understandably have enormous expectations of him because he came through the academy, broke into the first team at a young age and has already represented England at a major tournament. But that does not mean he should be expected to play every minute of every match.
A sensible development plan can involve rotation.
It can involve starting some matches, coming off the bench in others and occasionally watching an entire game from the substitutes’ bench.
The key issue is whether Mainoo remains part of Carrick’s plans over a sustained period.
So far, the evidence suggests that he does.
The clearest example is the start of the 2026/27 campaign. Manchester United’s official team news showed Mainoo starting alongside Tielemans against Everton after the pair had impressed against Ipswich. That is hardly the behaviour of a manager who has decided that Mainoo is no longer important.
At the same time, Carrick’s approach means Mainoo cannot assume that his place is guaranteed.
That competition could ultimately be beneficial for the player.
Instead of becoming comfortable because of his status as a popular academy graduate, Mainoo has to continue demonstrating why he deserves to start. He has to maintain his intensity, improve his physical consistency and continue developing his influence in the final third.
For Manchester United, that competition could also create a stronger midfield.
The club need several midfielders capable of starting Premier League and Champions League matches. If Mainoo, Santos, Mount, Casemiro and Tielemans are all pushing one another for places, Carrick has more tactical possibilities.
The danger, however, is that excessive rotation could prevent midfield partnerships from developing.
Midfielders benefit enormously from understanding each other’s movements. A player needs to know when his teammate will drop deep, when he will advance, when he wants the ball and when he intends to press.
Carrick himself highlighted the importance of players developing connections and understanding where each other wants the ball when discussing his midfield options.
That could explain why Mainoo sometimes starts and sometimes does not. Carrick may be searching for the combination that gives United the best balance over the course of the season.
Ultimately, the argument that Carrick is simply “benching Mainoo because he does not trust him” does not fully fit the available evidence.
The manager has praised him, started him in important matches and publicly described him as a player with significant influence. At the same time, Carrick has demonstrated that he is willing to rotate his midfield, manage minutes and make tactical substitutions even when Mainoo is performing well.
For Mainoo, the message is therefore fairly clear: his place is valuable, but it is not guaranteed.
He still has to fight for it.
And for Manchester United supporters, the bigger question is not whether Mainoo sits on the bench for one particular match. The bigger question is whether Carrick continues to view him as one of the midfielders capable of shaping United’s future.
The evidence so far suggests that Mainoo remains very much part of that conversation. What Carrick appears to be demanding is not simply talent, but consistency, tactical flexibility and the ability to perform whatever role the match requires.
If Mainoo continues producing the kind of performances that earned praise from Carrick, it will become increasingly difficult to leave him out for long periods. But competition for places, tactical considerations, fitness management and the needs of individual matches mean that even an important player can spend time on the bench.
For now, Mainoo’s situation looks less like a permanent loss of trust and more like the reality of competing for a place in a Manchester United midfield with several different options available to the manager.