Wayne Rooney has thrown his weight behind Kobbie Mainoo to start for England in Wednesday's World Cup last-32 tie against DR Congo, saying the Manchester United midfielder's ability to operate in tight areas makes him the ideal partner for Declan Rice and Jude Bellingham.
The match, which kicks off at 17:00 BST and is live on BBC One and BBC Radio 5 Live, pits England against a tricky opponent in Atlanta after they topped Group L. Mainoo has not played a single minute at this World Cup, despite winning his place back in the United side under Michael Carrick and featuring in four friendlies. Instead, Elliot Anderson – who is close to joining Manchester City from Nottingham Forest for a club-record £116m – started all three group matches.
“Wayne Rooney says he would start Kobbie Mainoo over Elliot Anderson for England's World Cup last-32 tie against DR Congo.”
“I’d go with Declan Rice sitting, and I’d go with Mainoo and Jude Bellingham,” Rooney said on The Wayne Rooney Show. “Mainoo can give you a bit of both, but in tight areas, that's Mainoo's biggest strength – his feet in tight areas, and then he has got a little pass. I think he's the only one who is capable of doing that in those tight areas.”
Former England striker Emile Heskey, speaking on the same show, expressed surprise that manager Thomas Tuchel turned to 36-year-old Jordan Henderson and not Mainoo to see out the 2-0 group win over Panama. “I was surprised Jordan Henderson was in the squad,” Heskey said. “And to see out the game you bring on a 30-something-year-old and not a 20-something-year-old to do the same. He probably has three more tournaments ahead of him and can grow into the tournament. I'm not sure how I'd feel as Kobbie Mainoo.”
While England prepare for the knockout stage, Manchester United have been dealt a devastating blow with confirmation that midfielder Manuel Ugarte suffered knee ligament damage during Uruguay's World Cup defeat by Spain. The 25-year-old twisted awkwardly attempting a tackle in the build-up to Spain's winning goal and was stretchered off. Numerous reports from Uruguayan media claim a cruciate ligament injury, and Ugarte's own Instagram post on Sunday added weight to those fears.
“Suffering the most serious injury a footballer can face in one of the most important matches in my country's history, and seeing it end this way without being able to stay on the pitch and support my team-mates until the final whistle, is something that will stay with me for the rest of my life,” Ugarte wrote. “Hitting rock bottom will make me stronger in every sense.” United are braced for the worst, with the £50.8m arrival from Paris St-Germain now likely to miss months, throwing into doubt plans to sell him this summer to fund a midfield revamp that has already seen a £35m deal agreed for Atalanta's Ederson.
Elsewhere at Old Trafford, there is brighter news as 16-year-old Kai Rooney – son of Wayne – declares himself ready for the new season after an injury ended his campaign in March. The youngster, who made his Under-18s debut in a 1-0 win over Everton in August and scored six appearances before suffering a season-ending setback, posted “Roll on pre-season” alongside photographs of himself training. A further boost: he will now be permitted to wear his sponsored Puma boots for United after turning 16 before the August 31 cut-off, a restriction his father had previously backed. “All the academy have to wear the same boots,” Wayne Rooney said on The Smith Brothers: Not A Podcast. “They do it because there's people from areas where they can't afford certain boots so I think it's really good.”
As England's midfield debate rages and United's transfer plans hang in the balance, the game in Atlanta will offer a first glimpse of whether Rooney's advice is heeded.