Fernandes injury destroys Mainoo hope of Manchester United exit

Manchester United captain Bruno Fernandes limped off with a soft-tissue injury during his team’s defeat to Aston Villa on Sunday, and manager Ruben Amorim has revealed he doesn’t expect to have him back in the squad for the next few weeks. It will rule the Portugal international out for the festive fixtures against Newcastle,

According to The Times, this unfortunate development spells bad news for Kobbie Mainoo, who had hoped to leave the club in January amid interest from a large number of clubs, both in England and abroad.

The 20-year-old is yet to start a Premier League match this season, and Amorim has recently explained his lack of game time by saying he plays in the same position as Fernandes. Furthermore, United are decimated across squad sections by the absence of Noussair Mazraoui, Bryan Mbeumo and Amad Diallo, who are all away representing their countries at the Africa Cup of Nations at the moment.