Why Kobbie Mainoo may not play for Man Utd against Brentford despite starring role in England friendlies - explained

Mainoo, who recently made his national team debut for England during the international break, is doubtful for the club's upcoming Premier League encounter against Brentford on Saturday, as confirmed by manager Erik ten Hag.

The Dutch manager informed that the youngster missed training on Friday due to illness and that there remains a doubt over his participation in the Brentford clash. The club are monitoring the player's condition and a final call will be taken on the matchday depending on how well the midfielder recovers.

Speaking to reporters, Ten Hag said, "He skipped training because he was ill. I don't know, we hope. Today he is there, not fully recovered but we still have many hours before kick-off."

The Dutch manager further heaped praise on the midfielder and revealed his progression to the first team. He added, "We thought he was capable of it and we thought he was capable of adjusting very quickly to high levels so we had to delay that moment but for him and us that is good. Later in the season, he proved that he can contribute highly to our team. We are happy we saw this right and we are happy we have a player like him in our squad. He can really contribute and be the player who can make us play the way we want to play."

After facing The Bees on Saturday, the Red Devils will be next seen in action on April 4 as they take Chelsea in a league clash.