Former England and Manchester United midfielder Nicky Butt is hoping that Kobbie Mainoo is overlooked for England's remaining World Cup matches, including their semi-final against Argentina.
Mainoo has yet to feature in the tournament, and Butt believes that introducing him to the pitch at this stage could have negative consequences. The Manchester United legend is a fan of Mainoo, but also thinks that the young midfielder needs more game-time before being considered for a World Cup semi-final.
Paul Scholes, a former teammate of Mainoo's, has also expressed skepticism about the midfielder's chances of getting selected by Thomas Tuchel. Scholes said, "It seems like it's anybody but Kobbie Mainoo for Thomas Tuchel at the minute." He added, "Every manager has their favourites, of course they do."
Butt echoed Scholes' sentiments, saying, "Do you know something? I actually hope Kobbie Mainoo doesn't come on now." He believes that Mainoo is not yet ready for the level of competition in the World Cup semi-final and could do more harm than good if he is introduced to the pitch.
Mainoo's chances of getting selected were raised when Jordan Henderson suffered a freak injury during England's last-16 win over Mexico. However, Henderson's injury is expected to rule him out of the tournament, and Butt's comments suggest that Mainoo is still not ready for the level of competition in the World Cup.
Wednesday's semi-final will be a mouth-watering encounter between England and Argentina, and will feature one of the greatest players of all time, Lionel Messi, in action for the first time against England.
