Manchester United manager Amorim emphasizes the need for careful management of Mainoo’s development.

Manchester United will need to manage midfielder Kobbie Mainoo’s return from a muscle injury prudently, as he took part in training in preparation for Thursday’s Europa League quarter-final against Olympique Lyonnais, according to manager Ruben Amorim.

The 19-year-old England international has not featured since United’s FA Cup fourth-round victory over Leicester City on February 7, missing ten matches across all competitions since that date.

His return is a significant boost for United, who will be competing against French side Lyon at Parc Olympique Lyonnais in the first leg of the Europa League and are also eager to better their current standing in the Premier League, where they sit in 13th place with just seven matches left.

“He has missed a few games, so we must be cautious with his fitness levels. We’re very pleased to have him back, but we need to be mindful of how we manage him,” Amorim told reporters on Wednesday when asked about the possibility of Mainoo starting against Lyon.

“It’s great to have more options, especially someone like Kobbie, who possesses such quality – he can play as a number six, an eight, or even as a ten – and we are delighted to have him back. Nevertheless, we must proceed with caution; we need Kobbie to be fit and fresh.”

The Portuguese manager also expressed his belief that the young player will continue to develop his skills.

“When I observe Kobbie, I can see a lot of potential… He still needs to work on certain aspects, particularly his pace in gameplay,”

“He should enhance his contributions in build-up play. Near the opponent’s box, he possesses immense talent, which is why I believe he performed exceptionally well in that role during the Europa League,” Amorim commented.

“However, I don’t see him as the finished article just yet; he is only 19. If I were to claim that I have seen the final product, I wouldn’t be helping Kobbie at all.”

Defender Matthijs de Ligt, 25, will be sidelined for the match due to a foot issue.

Amorim confirmed that goalkeeper Andre Onana will start against Lyon.

Earlier on Wednesday, Lyon midfielder Nemanja Matic responded to Onana’s comments labelling the 29-year-old Cameroonian as “one of the worst goalkeepers” in Manchester United’s history.

Onana had stated, “we are significantly better than them” in reference to Lyon, prompting annoyance from 36-year-old Matic, who previously spent five years at United.

Amorim came to his goalkeeper’s defence, explaining: “If you look at the full quote from Onana, it paints a different picture. The initial sentence conveys that ‘Lyon is a very, very good team’.

“At times, players may not hear the entire context, leading to misunderstandings. I know Matic well; he’s a great guy, and tomorrow’s match will be just another normal game.”