Why Kobbie Mainoo was absent from Manchester United training ahead of Brentford

Kobbie Mainoo must have been reminded he was human when falling ill this week.

Mainoo made his full England debut against Belgium at Wembley on Tuesday night and if that wasn't enough, his assured performance earned him the Man of the Match award. The youngster only made his first start for United in November, which means it's been an unforgettable four months.

Mainoo was eased into action for the Under-21s with a game against Salford in October and played for his national team by the end of March. His journey has been a joy to follow and talks have opened with his representatives over a new contract to reflect his growing importance, despite him only signing a fresh deal last year.

ALSO READ: Everything Erik ten Hag said in his press conference

ALSO READ: United promote three youngsters to first-team training

Erik ten Hag has started Mainoo in 11 of United's 12 games across all competitions in 2024 and, unsurprisingly, he's quickly become one of the first names on the team sheet. It speaks volumes that Mainoo is in contention to win the Sir Matt Busby Player of the Year award despite missing the start of the campaign. He's been brilliant since breaking into the side.

United are a better team when Mainoo plays and he might start for England at Euro 2024, which would be a remarkable achievement considering he only turns 19 in a few weeks. However, there's a small possibility United could be without Mainoo for their trip to Brentford on Saturday night and it would be a huge blow for him to be absent from the squad.

United released training photos on Thursday and Mainoo wasn't present. Ten Hag was asked for an update in the second half of his press conference and said: "Yesterday he skipped training because he was