Manchester United supporters have created a series of light-hearted memes on social media highlighting Kobbie Mainoo's absence from the field during England's World Cup campaign. Mainoo is among six players in the 26-man squad who have yet to feature in any of the team's three group stage matches, despite manager Thomas Tuchel rotating the squad.
Other outfield players who have not yet seen game time include Dan Burn, Ivan Toney, and Trevoh Chalobah. Goalkeepers Dean Henderson and James Trafford have also remained on the bench, behind first-choice Jordan Pickford.
The attention on Mainoo's lack of involvement intensified after 36-year-old Jordan Henderson was brought on for the final 12 minutes of England's 2-0 victory over Panama. Henderson's appearance marked his participation in a fourth World Cup and a seventh major tournament.
Fans have drawn parallels to a trend originating with Brazilian supporters poking fun at Carlo Ancelotti's perceived reluctance to play their teenage star Endrick. The memes playfully suggest a similar situation for Tuchel and Mainoo.
One meme jokingly depicted the England manager putting on the team's kit himself, implying Mainoo is the only midfielder available. Another shared a clip of someone balancing on water to reach a car, with the caption: "If you get your feet wet you have to play Mainoo." A similar post featured a clip of a person precariously navigating a swinging bridge, captioned: "If you fall off the bridge, you have to play Kobbie Mainoo."
A video originally showing Diego Maradona playfully kicking a ball away from Lionel Messi during a warm-up as Argentina coach was also shared. A fan captioned it: "Kobbie Mainoo: 'Pass me the ball, coach!'", suggesting Tuchel would act similarly to Maradona by denying Mainoo possession.
This situation echoes past struggles for playing time in Mainoo's career. He previously experienced a period of being overlooked at Manchester United under former manager Ruben Amorim, leading to speculation about his future at the club before his fortunes improved under Michael Carrick. In reaction to Henderson being chosen over him, one fan shared a photo of Mainoo's brother wearing a "Free Kobbie Mainoo" t-shirt during his earlier absence from the first team.
Mainoo will be looking for an opportunity to make his World Cup debut when England faces DR Congo in the last-32 on July 1. Given the short turnaround after winning their group, Tuchel may consider further squad rotation as the knockout stage commences. A victory against DR Congo would set up a last-16 tie against either Mexico or Ecuador. England's potential path through the tournament could include a quarter-final match against Brazil and a possible semi-final against the current holders, Argentina.