‘I’d refuse to play’ – Kobbie Mainoo told to BOYCOTT England’s third-place play-off vs France after Tuchel treatment

KOBBIE MAINOO should refuse to play for England in the third-place playoff, says former Manchester United midfielder Nicky Butt. The Three Lions ace has been unused throughout the World Cup but could be called into Thomas Tuchel‘s XI for the newly- named Bronze Final on Saturday. Kobbie Mainoo has been told to boycott England’s third-place playoff with France Credit: Getty It comes after he was left unused throughout the World Cup by Thomas Tuchel Credit: Getty It is a game nobody wants to play after England and France lost their semis to Argentina and Spain respectively. And usually this end-of-tournament game is a chance for teams to be rotated – allowing minutes for the players who hadn’t gotten much of a chance. Sign up for the Man United newsletter Thank you! For England, there are several of those, and Mainoo received much clamour throughout. But he never got off the bench under Tuchel despite midfield issues with Declan Rice struggling through illness and a lingering hamstring injury. READ MORE ON THE WORLD CUP Reece James was called up to play there at times, whilst Eberechi Eze and Jude Bellingham were tasked with dropping into unnatural deeper and central roles at times. So United ace Mainoo, 21, who is back in the national team fold again after 18 months in the wilderness, could find himself asked to feature. Butt thinks he should make a stand and tell Tuchel to find other answers. He told The Metro: “I do not know what is going on there, there’s something not quite right with it. Most read in Sport WORLD CUP 2026 FREE BETS AND SIGN UP OFFERS Nicky Butt thinks the Manchester United midfielder shout make a stand Credit: Getty “Now they’re going to play the bomb squad in the stupid third-place game. “I’d just refuse to play if I was Kobbie Mainoo. I’d say I was injured. “It’s a nonsense game, especially when you’ve been treated like that. “He’s not played a minute of football, now to go and start this pointless jumped-up friendly and potentially get injured for the whole season…no.” There have been reports that Mainoo, more than others, has been left frustrated by his position in the squad. And others claim that Tuchel was unimpressed with how he trained ahead of the Ghana clash – although that is in contrast to those saying Mainoo gave his all regardless. For Butt, it has been hugely confusing. He continued: “It seems like it’s anybody but Kobbie Mainoo for Thomas Tuchel at the minute. “He’s bringing Reece James on who hasn’t played for three weeks because of a hamstring injury. “Only Tuchel will know why, I can’t imagine Kobbie being a problem in the camp. “But every manager has their favourites, of course they do.” And Butt had this stance even before the Argentina clash. He explained: “Do you know something? I actually hope Kobbie Mainoo doesn’t come on now. “Because he’s probably so down, he’s not played and he’s not kicked a football in a real game. “He’s been training, obviously, but if he goes in now, the only thing he can do is bad. “He’s not going to be at the level to go and play at that level in a semi-final. I hope he doesn’t come on. “It’s anybody but Kobbie for Tuchel. He won’t be the first one to go to a World Cup and not play a minute, there’s a few players who have done that.” It has been six weeks carrying drinks for the 23-year-old Credit: Shutterstock Editorial Mainoo signed a new deal at United earlier this year – a reward for his performances under Michael Carrick. The youngster, who was a bolter at Euro 2024 for Gareth Southgate, had been considering his Old Trafford future with Ruben Amorim in charge and not valuing his skills. After missing all 10 of Tuchel’s first World Cup qualifiers and friendlies, he was named in an expanded squad for games with Uruguay and Japan in March. Mainoo got 90 minutes across those games and was then named in the final tournament squad ahead of Adam Wharton and Morgan Gibbs-White. But it was six weeks carrying drinks for Mainoo, until maybe Saturday. Comment now