CASE FOR MAINOO

Amorim has to show he's a man of Kobb

- BY DAVID McDONNELL

THE time has come for Ruben Amorim to show whether he does have faith in Kobbie Mainoo - as he has claimed.

United are five games into the new Premier League season and Mainoo has yet to start any of them, the midfielder having played just 76 minutes as a sub.

Not used in the first two league games, Mainoo’s only start was in United's humiliating Carabao Cup exit to League Two Grimsby.

Even when Amorim deviated from his preferred central midfield pairing of Casemiro and Bruno Fernandes for the 3-0 derby defeat at Manchester City, dropping the former, Mainoo was overlooked in favour of Manuel Ugarte.

When Mainoo eventually did come on at the Etihad, just after the hour, he brought more energy and mobility to United's midfield, underlining the folly of Amorim’s decision to start the hapless Ugarte over him.