There’s no hiding that injuries have massively impacted Manchester United’s campaign, with the lack of consistency potentially linked to the frequent changing of players.
On Tuesday, the latest injury report was announced, with both Victor Lindelof and Lisandro Martinez set to face a month on the sidelines.
This is particularly frustrating for the Argentine, whose season has played out in the following fashion: injury, being forced back due to a lack of depth, and picking up another issue because of that.
Jonny Evans is also nursing an injury, and Raphael Varane is racing against the clock to be back fit for Chelsea, but Erik ten Hag does have a young talent waiting to have a Kobbie Mainoo-esque impact on the side.
Kobbie Mainoo’s breakthrough season
Towards the end of November against Everton, the Man United faithful saw their first glimpse of Mainoo in the Premier League, with the midfielder instantly showing his quality and class.
Despite being just 18 years old, Mainoo has proven to be a key player in Ten Hag’s midfield, making 14 Premier League starts since, but that tally would have definitely been higher had he not suffered an injury in pre-season.
The number 37 has continued to develop as each week passes, to the point where he’s now simply undroppable, even making his first start for England against Belgium last month.
Mainoo has already won a United Player of the Month award, which he picked up in January, yet there’s a 19-year-old who’s waiting patiently for a chance to shine.
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ByTom LeverMar 26, 2024 Willy Kambwala could shine in the absence of Martinez
At this current moment, Man United only have Harry Maguire, Raphael Varane, and youngster Willy Kambwala available for selection at centre back.
This could see the latter fast-tracked into the first team, just like Mainoo, with Ten Hag showing he’s not afraid to play the youth if the opportunity arises.
That said, the French centre-half has already featured for the first team on a few occasions, making one start and three further appearances in the Premier League this season.
That start was against West Ham United on Christmas Eve, where the 19-year-old impressed despite the Red Devils losing, as you can see by the table below.
Clearances
3
Dribbled past
0
Passes completed
78
Pass accuracy
90%
Touches
95
On top of those statistics, the Manchester Evening News handed Kambwala a 6/10 rating for his performance, which was one of the highest scores on the day, with Samuel Luckhurst stating that he 'slotted in impressively and started confidently'.
In truth, the inexperienced number 53 didn’t look massively out of place during the tie, showing his defensive ability via the three clearances and zero times dribbled past.
However, what was most impressive was Kambwala’s ability and confidence in possession, carrying it well to evade pressure and controlling the tempo; he clearly wasn’t afraid of getting on the ball.
His 95 touches were only fewer than Luke Shaw and Jonny Evans, and he completed 78 passes with a pass accuracy of 90%, which was the best in the United starting lineup.
Overall, the “brilliant” Kambwala, as dubbed by analyst StatmanDave, certainly has the quality and character to be thrown in the deep end like Mainoo, and he could just prove to be an important squad member between now and the end of the season.