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Manchester United midfielder Kobbie Mainoo has yet to make an appearance at the ongoing World Cup.

It remains uncertain whether England manager Thomas Tuchel will include him in the lineup for the third-place play-off against France on Saturday.

Tuchel has consistently preferred Declan Rice and Elliot Anderson ahead of the Manchester United academy graduate, and an incident during training is believed to have reduced Mainoo’s chances of featuring.

According to reports from the Daily Mail, there was an expectation that Mainoo might feature in England’s second group-stage encounter against Ghana when Rice appeared to be struggling with fitness issues.

The 21-year-old had partnered Anderson in central midfield during training sessions.

However, Tuchel was reportedly unimpressed by what he observed during those sessions and decided to stick with the Arsenal midfielder for the match instead.

It was also noticed that Mainoo was often the first player to leave the stadium after nearly every game, usually seen alone with his headphones on.

Many supporters anticipated that the Manchester United youngster would get an opportunity in the final group game against Panama, particularly as Tuchel rotated his squad for that fixture.

Nevertheless, the England boss chose Jude Bellingham and Anderson in midfield, with Rice being rested for that match.

Mainoo had featured in England’s pre-World Cup friendlies against New Zealand and Costa Rica, where he delivered solid performances.

Despite those displays, Tuchel reportedly remained unconvinced that the young midfielder could make a decisive impact at the major tournament.

The Englishman had enjoyed a strong season at Manchester United, establishing himself as a key member of Michael Carrick’s side following Ruben Amorim’s departure.

England narrowly missed out on a place in the World Cup final after a 2-1 defeat to Argentina on Wednesday night.

Mainoo would have hoped to play a part in turning things around, but Tuchel opted otherwise. The Manchester United starlet will now aim to move past the disappointment and focus on his future opportunities.