2026 World Cup: Why has England midfielder Kobbie Mainoo failed to play a single minute for Thomas Tuchel’s side this summer? | Football news

Kobbie Mainoo has looked depressed in this world cup.

He is one of only three foreign players who have never appeared in the tournament. Ivan Toney and Trevoh Chalobah are others, and they probably understand their situation better.

Chalobah was Tino Livramento’s injured defender so he always knew he was a defender. In many games, he had John Stones waiting on the bench in front of him.

Toney has been told by Tuchel that he is a ‘complement’ – a player who is likely to start unless there is an injury to Harry Kane.

Kane was fully fit and scored six goals in this tournament. And we’re not in penalties yet, so there’s no need for Toney to show up at the last minute.

But in Mainoo there is an air of disappointment and, it seems, there is some disappointment. In all of England’s six games, he was the first out of the dressing room after the game, and the first on the team bus.

Every time I saw him, he was walking on his own, not with his colleagues. Let’s be clear, he has been oblivious. But he still looks lost.

The Manchester United midfielder was 18 when he made his England debut in the Euro 2024 final and you could be forgiven for thinking a bright international future lay ahead of him.

It probably still will be. But the truth is that he did not play a single minute of football in the USA and Mexico this summer.

That’s especially surprising when you look at Jordan Henderson’s campaign when he broke his wrist in the post-Mexico celebrations, and when you look at the other midfielders Thomas Tuchel used before Mainoo.

Declan Rice and Elliot Anderson are obviously two of England’s favorite players and they are the best in this tournament. Since his move to Manchester City at the end of the tournament, Anderson has been on a roll, and had his best performance of the tournament against Norway in the quarter-finals.

Rice is England’s vice-captain and one of the first names on the team sheet when fit. He has been battling illness and injury throughout this World Cup, but it hasn’t been enough to keep him out of the field for long.

Until Norway.

Because of a Mexican stomach bug that confined Rice to his bed for three days before the game, he was able to pull a stomach for 45 minutes in a hot Miami house.

Mainoo must have fancied his chances. But Tuchel instead chose to play two players out of their strongest position.

First, in came Eberechi Eze of Rice. Tuchel said he wanted to be more attacking and brought on the Arsenal man to try and get England more advanced, passing between the lines and improving their penetration.

Mainoo could argue, for one thing, that his energy and passing ability would have been more useful to England in the second half in Miami, even as the heat sapped the performance of many of his teammates.

Reece James then came into midfield midway through the second half, despite having been struggling with a hamstring injury. Tuchel often turns to James as one of his preferred defensive options, although his defined role in the England team – as is often the case at Chelsea – is right-back.

Next, Ezri Konsa – who plays as a stand-in full-back – needs to come out due to cramp. James was switched back to defense again, Mainoo’s eyes must have lit up.

But again he was ignored. Morgan Rogers moved into midfield and Eze moved to the left.

However difficult that series of events was for Mainoo, it’s hard to argue with Tuchel’s reasoning for choosing James and Eze ahead of him under the circumstances.

That is a shame for one of England’s brightest young talents but it remains inevitable as Tuchel chases the big prize.