Manchester United's coach, Ruben Amorim, says Kobbie Mainoo is the club's future, but he might have to wait a bit for his turn.

The 20-year-old hasn't been playing much at Old Trafford. He only started one Carabao Cup game and has played a total of 12 times this season.

Last week, Amorim mentioned the midfielder needed to fight for his spot. However, a calf injury during training before the Aston Villa game means he can't do that right now, especially since seven other players are also out.

Still, the United boss hinted he's thinking long-term, even though the player hasn't had many chances this season.

Kobbie Mainoo will always get a chance. He's played different roles. He can play defensive midfield, or with three midfielders, or like Mason Mount did in the last game, Amorim said.

I feel like he's the future of Manchester United. He just needs to wait for his chance, and things can quickly change in football.

Amorim downplayed the possibility of the youngster being loaned out in January, which is even less likely now because of his injury. But he also said they'd need to find someone to replace him if he did leave.

If we can't get someone else, it's tough for him to go, he added. Even with everyone fit, we're a bit short on players, so it'll be tough for anyone to leave if we don't get a replacement.

Midfield clearly needs some help, but with the transfer window coming up and players like Casemiro and Harry Maguire's contracts ending in the summer (though there's an option to keep the Brazilian for another 12 months), there are other things to consider.

No decisions have been made, Amorim said about their contracts. We have a lot to do, and we need to figure out what's happening next season, like whether we're playing in Europe. We're focused on the present. I'm happy with them, but I don't know what will happen.

The United boss said he wouldn't be upset if they didn't bring in any new players next month.

No, not at all. "We're having a tough time right now, but the club has a plan," he said before the Newcastle game. We're sticking to it. If we can get a player who we think will be part of the club's future, we'll get him. If not, we have Jack (Fletcher), Shea Lacey, and in three weeks, we'll have Amad, Nous (Mazraoui), and Bryan (Mbeumo) back. Bruno (Fernandes) and Kobbie Mainoo will also be back. So, we'll see.

Bruno Fernandes wasn't thrilled with Alejandro Garnacho's attitude during their time together at Manchester United. The 21-year-old winger ended up jumping ship to Chelsea this summer after a pretty nasty fallout with Ruben Amorim.

Apparently, the Argentinian got on the wrong side of the manager after complaining publicly about his lack of playtime in the Europa League final, basically calling out the Portuguese boss's tactics. But it wasn't just the boss; club captain Fernandes also questioned the young player's mindset back when he was still at Old Trafford.

After the winger scored the winning goal against Real Sociedad in 2022, Fernandes didn't mince words. He said he was good, sure, but we expect more from him.

He’s young but doing okay. At the start of the season? Not so good. Didn't have the best attitude on the [pre-season] tour.

That's why he wasn't getting a chance until now. He's getting chances now because he's training better and has the right attitude.

And that wasn't the only time Garnacho ruffled feathers. Back in September, The Sun reported that some of the big names in the United locker room tried to talk to the young striker about his approach.

Experienced guys like Casemiro and Harry Maguire tried to mentor Garnacho, but it didn't really work out.

After United's 1-0 loss to Tottenham in the Europa League final, Garnacho griped, I played every round until the final. Then I played 20 minutes today—I don't get it. I’m just going to enjoy the summer and see what happens.

He also trashed the club's Premier League season, saying, It's tough for everyone, obviously. Our season was crap. We didn't beat anyone in the league. We were missing a lot. If you're not scoring goals, you always need more.

The Athletic says Amorim was furious and told Garnacho he better hope he had a good agent during a heated exchange on the training ground before their last match against Aston Villa.

After his £40 million move to Chelsea this summer, the 21-year-old quickly thanked the club and its fans for his time in Manchester. He wrote, Dear Manchester, after five unforgettable years, this special chapter in my life is now closed. We created moments that I will always remember, and I’m grateful for that.

To the coaches, staff, and my teammates, thank you for believing in me. Every time I wore the badge, I gave it my all. I leave with the team, and I'm excited about what's next. I wish the club all the best. I'll give it my all in the next chapter of my career.

Since arriving at Stamford Bridge, Garnacho hasn't quite found his footing yet. He's got one goal and two assists in the league. In all, the Argentinian has played 13 games, scoring just twice, with the other goal coming in a 2-2 draw against Qarabag in the Champions League.