Ruben Amorim challenges Kobbie Mainoo after rejected loan move as midfielder vies for derby spot

Ruben Amorim held a one-to-one conversation with Kobbie Mainoo this week after Manchester United turned down the midfielder's request to go out on loan and challenged the 20-year-old to prove he deserves a starting place.

Mainoo, an England international who had become a regular under former manager Erik ten Hag, asked to leave Old Trafford during the summer transfer window after becoming frustrated by limited first-team opportunities. United declined the request before the deadline, and Mainoo returned to action as a second-half substitute in United's 3-2 win over Burnley. With Matheus Cunha and Mason Mount sidelined by injury, Mainoo is in contention to start Sunday's Manchester derby at the Etihad Stadium.

Amorim said he had not spoken to Mainoo before the window closed but held the discussion this week to ensure the player did not believe the conversation had been a tactic to keep him at the club. "I didn't have a conversation with him before the window closed, but I did this week. Because I don't want Kobbie Mainoo thinking I was having any conversation with him just to hold onto him," Amorim told reporters.

The United head coach stressed his belief in Mainoo's potential while also setting out areas for improvement. "I believe a lot in Kobbie, but some of you think that Kobbie Mainoo is already done. I think he can do so much better, he can improve in a lot," Amorim said. "I think for some guys it is enough, but for him it is not enough. Maybe it's not fair, but I think I'm helping Kobbie Mainoo and that's it. He will have opportunities like the other guys."

Amorim outlined specific expectations, saying Mainoo needs greater pace, better positional understanding and the ability to vary his tempo. "He needs to have the technical ability that he has, but he needs more pace. He needs to understand the position better. He needs to play in different speeds. Sometimes it's lower, sometimes it's faster, and I think he can improve on that," the coach said. "All these things matter when you choose the team. Kobbie Mainoo is a very, very good player, but so is Bruno. Then he has to beat Casemiro, he has to beat Manu (Ugarte). They are good players also. So I need to choose."

Mainoo's role has shifted under Amorim's system, which the Portuguese coach acknowledged differs significantly from the style used by Ten Hag. "The way I play is completely different from the last manager. Kobbie was the only guy who calmed down the game. Now we have other players who can calm down the game," Amorim said, noting that Bruno Fernandes remains a key midfielder and could be moved into a No. 10 role depending on selection.

Amorim also pushed back against comparisons between his situation at United and Pep Guardiola's at Manchester City. City had lost consecutive matches entering the 197th derby, but Amorim said the situations are not comparable. "No, you cannot compare," he said. "The guy is winning all the time. He can relax in not winning anymore. I have to prove myself every day here and I feel that. To compare me with the situation of Guardiola? It's just a joke."

United's decision to refuse Mainoo's loan request leaves the midfielder to fight for minutes amid a midfield group that includes Bruno Fernandes, Casemiro and Manu Ugarte, along with recently injured attackers whose absences could alter selection. Amorim's public setting of standards makes clear the coach expects Mainoo to respond to the challenge if he is to secure a regular role as United prepare for a high-profile trip to Manchester City.