Depleted Manchester United hang on to victory over frustrated Newcastle

Ruben Amorim has challenged Kobbie Mainoo to prove he still has a future at Manchester United after ruling out the prospect of him leaving the club next month.

The out-of-favour England international has yet to start a Premier League game this season and his half-brother wore a ‘Free Kobbie Mainoo” T-Shirt at Old Trafford in last week’s dramatic 4-4 draw with Bournemouth. The 20-year-old has been linked with a loan move away from the club next month with Napoli among a handful of clubs interested in signing the midfielder.

However, United boss Amorim has extended Mainoo an olive branch to the academy graduate despite the provocation from family members by asking him to stake a claim for a starting position in the team in the coming weeks with captain Bruno Fernandes sidelined with a hamstring injury.

“If we are not getting someone, it’s hard (for someone) to leave because we are shorter,” said Amorim when asked whether Mainoo could depart in January. “Even with the full squad, we are shorter for something that can happen here.

”We are a club with a big responsibility. We are dealing with all these issues. In your heads, in my head, in everybody’s head, we need to win every game. There are no excuses. So, it’s going to be hard for someone to leave the club if we don’t get a substitution.

“Kobbie will have the opportunity that he has all the time. He has played in different positions. We talk about the position of Casemiro, well he can do that position. He can play, if we play with three, he can play like we played in the last game with two. The position of Mason Mount in the last game, he can play there.

“So, in the future, he’s going to be the future of Manchester United. That is my feeling. So, you just need to wait for each chance. Everything can change in football in two days.”

Mainoo has been ruled out of the visit of Newcastle United to Old Trafford on Boxing Day after failing to shake off the calf problem that sidelined him for the weekend defeat at Aston Villa. However, with Fernandes targeting a return for the Manchester derby on January 17, he is expected to be given more minutes than the 302 Amorim has granted him so far this season.

With Mainoo joining a casualty list that already includes Harry Maguire and Matthijs de Ligt, the loss of Bryan Mbeumo, Amad Diallo and Noussair Mazraoui to the African Cup of Nations has stretched United’s squad to breaking point. Teenager academy graduates Jack Fletcher and Shay Lacey will once again be involved against Newcastle after being on the bench for last Sunday’s 2-1 defeat Villa Park.