Erik ten Hag reveals what impresses him most about Kobbie Mainoo following outstanding maiden Man Utd start against Everton

The 53-year-old has waxed lyrical about Mainoo's influential performance against the Toffees, after the Red Devils secured a 3-0 win on Sunday.

The 18-year-old was on the bench for the recent 3-3 draw against Galatasaray in the Champions League, but Ten Hag's comments about his performance against Everton could hint at a return to the starting eleven to face Newcastle United this weekend.

Speaking ahead of the clash against the Magpies, Ten Hag commented on a possible return to the starting line-up for the young midfielder. "If he's ready or not, he showed on Sunday [vs Everton] he was ready," Ten Hag said. "We have to manage three games in six days to get the best results of all the games. We have more than 11 players, we have good options there. Sofyan [Amrabat] also showed he was playing a very good game. We have the options, you manage the load of the players and it's about freshness as well."

When asked what impressed him most about the midfielder, Ten Hag added: "His scanning. It looks like he always has time because he is scanning, he is running free, then he is scanning to see the options and then make the right decisions. He can delay, he can speed up. He makes the right decisions."

Mainoo's performance in the Premier League is only made more impressive when considering it was his first game in the starting line-up after a four-month spell on the sidelines, after suffering an ankle injury in pre-season.

After a disappointing draw to Galatasaray on Wednesday, the focus will now shift to a tough clash against Eddie Howe's impressive Newcastle side on Saturday evening. The Red Devils currently sit in sixth place, just one point ahead their upcoming opponents in seventh, highlighting how important the upcoming clash will be.