3 weeks ago
23
Manchester United are not expecting to sign a new midfielder today.
There is little to no chance of Kobbie Mainoo leaving after Matheus Cunha and Mason Mount were injured at the weekend. United are set to stick with a midfield group of Bruno Fernandes, Casemiro, Manuel Ugarte, Mainoo and Mount.
Mainoo was back on the bench for the 3-2 victory over Burnley after playing 90 minutes in the chastening Carabao Cup defeat by Grimsby in mid-week.
However, the setbacks to both Cunha and Mount have all but ended the 20-year-old's hopes of securing a loan departure and earning himself more minutes elsewhere.
Daily Mail Sport reported that the youngster remained determined to leave temporarily ahead of this evening's deadline. He wants regular first-team football, but is aware he is acting as Bruno Fernandes' understudy in Ruben Amorim's side.
Amorim made it clear to Mainoo that he is in direct competition with captain Fernandes for a spot in his two-man midfield pivot, and he is unlikely to win that fight.
Manchester United are not expecting to sign a new midfielder on deadline day
There is little to no chance of Kobbie Mainoo leaving despite his desire to go out on loan
Indeed, Fernandes played 57 of United's 60 games last season and remains crucial to the head coach in his first full campaign in the Old Trafford dugout.
Amorim had addressed Mainoo's request to leave, telling a press conference on Friday: 'I want Kobbie to stay. He needs to fight for his place, and we need Kobbie.
'So that is not going to change. The rest I don't know how it's going to finish.
'I understand that the players that are not playing in this moment are disappointed, but everyone has the same opportunity to play. You have to fight during the week.'
Meanwhile, United will wrap up the signing of Royal Antwerp goalkeeper Senne Lammens on deadline day after reaching an agreement over a £19million deal.
The 23-year-old agreed a five-year contract and jetted to the UK on a private jet.
He is viewed by United as a young stopper with a bright future and while United also weighed up Aston Villa's Emiliano Martinez, they believe Lammens is the right choice.
Goalkeeper had not been a priority position all summer long for United until a recent flurry of glaring mistakes from Andre Onana, who has lost his role as No 1 after missing pre-season through injury, and Altay Bayindir forced a rethink.
