Amorim urges Kobbie Mainoo to ignore 'nonsense' as bench talk echoes United past

Manchester United manager Ruben Amorim has told Kobbie Mainoo there is no shame in being used from the bench and urged him to shut out the 'nonsense and noise' surrounding his future at Old Trafford.

Mainoo has not started a Premier League game this season, with all 11 of his appearances coming as a substitute. He could be handed a rare chance to start away to Aston Villa on Sunday if Casemiro is suspended, though the 20-year-old remains linked with a January exit, with Napoli reportedly leading the chase.

"Kobbie needs to fight for his job," Amorim said. "I think that it's not a bad thing to be on the bench of Manchester United when you are 20-years-old. I remember Ronaldo was on the bench, Rooney was on the bench sometimes, Veron was not playing."

"I'm not trying to say to Kobbie, 'you are a big player here, let's put him on the bench to show something'. No, what I'm saying is the opposite. I'm just not putting Kobbie in sometimes because I understand that this is not the right guy to start the game. Maybe the next game, Sunday, he is going to start."

"If he plays well, is going to show everyone 'this guy cannot take me out of the team', and I will be so happy."

The comments come amid fresh tensions around Mainoo after his half-brother Jordan Mainoo-Hames wore a 'Free Kobbie Mainoo' T-shirt at Monday's 4-4 draw with Bournemouth, a moment Amorim said he wants to move past. "I had the situation in Sporting Lisbon," he added. "My brother wrote something on the internet, and I have to answer for that. My explanation is that he has his life, he has his opinion, and it's nothing to do with me. So I will do the same with Kobbie. He's responsible for his acts and his act was to play well in the last game, I'm just focused on that. So let's continue in trying to avoid the nonsense and the noise. I just want to want to help the team to win and to help Kobbie to be a better player."

The incident underscores the pressure on Mainoo as he navigates a season in which his on-field role has been limited to substitute appearances and periodic calls from the dugout for a spark. Amorim’s approach — focusing on merit and development rather than public confrontation — is aimed at preserving unity while signaling that opportunities will come to those who seize them.

The club’s leadership has not closed the door on a permanent move in January, with Napoli reported to be among the clubs interested in taking Mainoo on loan or in a transfer depending on how the season unfolds. United’s coaching staff, however, has signaled that the player remains very much in their long-term plans if his form and professional conduct align with the team’s needs.

Amorim’s broader message is to shield the squad from outside chatter and to keep the emphasis on performance. By pointing to Cristiano Ronaldo, Wayne Rooney and Juan Sebastián Verón as examples of players who faced bench roles at times, he framed the current situation as part of a long arc in which top players earn their roles through sustained impact rather than status alone.

The manager also stressed that his decisions are driven by tactical considerations and results, not personal judgments about a player’s value. He attributed the ongoing dialogue about Mainoo’s future to the normal pressures of a big club and a high-stakes transfer window, insisting that the team’s objective remains to win games and develop talent within a healthy, professional environment.

As United prepare for their upcoming fixtures, the focus will be on matching performance with consistency and ensuring that Mainoo has a clear path to contributing meaningfully when called upon. For now, Amorim’s stance is clear: fight for your spot, let action do the talking, and tune out the noise that accompanies the scrutiny that comes with Manchester United.