Liverpool great claims Manchester United's struggles to blame for Kobbie Mainoo's England snub

Former Liverpool star John Barnes believes Kobbie Mainoo's omission from the England squad might not be a bad thing for the Manchester United midfielder.

The 18-year-old made his full Premier League debut on November 26, and he has appeared 22 times for Manchester United since his debut in January 2022. His impressive displays led to calls for him to be included in Gareth Southgate's latest squad.

However, Mainoo is set to feature for the Under-21s instead, after being left out of Southgate's squad for the upcoming games against Brazil and Belgium at Wembley. And Barnes has explained that the youngster's omission may not be a bad thing, given United's poor form, which means he will only be subject to more scrutiny at international level.

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Speaking to bonuscodebets, Barnes said: "Should Mainoo be playing for England? Why don’t we give him time to develop? He’s playing in a team that’s not even in the top five or four.

"United aren’t playing particularly well so why are we going to put pressure on him. If he was playing that well, wouldn’t United be in the top four or five and they’re not.

"So I’m not going to get carried away because he’s playing well and having a good breakthrough season. And he is playing very well but as with all young players, let them develop slowly and he’ll get his rewards later on."

Addressing Mainoo's omission earlier this week, Southgate said: "I think that he's doing brilliantly for a young player and we're never slow to put a young player into seniors.

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