Erik ten Hag might soon have another first-team player at Manchester United

Having made just three first-team appearances for Manchester United last season, Kobbie Mainoo must have been licking his lips when Erik ten Hag informed him he was going on the club's pre-season tour of the United States.

The Stockport-born midfielder, 18, had caught the eye in United's opening two pre-season friendlies of the summer, starting the wins over Leeds United (2-0) and Lyon (1-0) respectively. Immediately after the win over Lyon in Edinburgh, the youngster joined United's more senior figures in flying across the Atlantic for the tour.

Though the likes of Christian Eriksen, Bruno Fernandes and Casemiro were back available for the opening game in the US against Arsenal, Mainoo kept his place, producing another polished showing in the opening 45 minutes. He then started again against Real Madrid four days later.

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Unfortunately for Mainoo, his opportunity to pit himself up against Jude Bellingham and the rest of Madrid's headline acts was curtailed inside six minutes, forced off due to ankle injury. He did not play for the first-team again until being handed a start against Everton last Sunday.

Mainoo's withdrawal from the tour meant he joined fellow youngster Amad on the sidelines. Like the former, the winger also had ambitions of using pre-season as an audition period to try and impress Ten Hag.

The Ivorian, who joined United from Atalanta in January 2021, had just returned from a glittering season-long loan spell at Sunderland, scoring 14 goals and grabbing four assists to help them achieve an unexpected top six finish in the Championship. His hopes of forcing