Manchester United star given huge international boost as early England squad revealed: report

Kobbie Mainoo is poised to end a nearly two-year England exile after Thomas Tuchel prepared to name the 20-year-old in his March 2026 squad, sources confirmed to Sky Sports on Friday.

The Manchester United midfielder, last capped in September 2024, is set to be the headline inclusion when Tuchel unveils the group for the final international window before June’s World Cup. Mainoo’s return caps a dramatic reversal of fortune: having been frozen out under former United head coach Ruben Amorim, the academy product has started nine of ten Premier League matches since interim boss Michael Carrick took charge, helping the club to seven wins and a draw while contributing two assists.

Those displays have convinced Tuchel that Mainoo merits an immediate recall. The German coach, who has experimented with a deep pool of midfielders including Jude Bellingham, Declan Rice and Elliot Anderson in November 2025, is expected to trim at least one name to accommodate the United youngster.

Mainoo started England’s Euro 2024 final defeat to Spain but disappeared from subsequent squads as his club minutes evaporated. With this month’s fixtures widely viewed as the last audition for World Cup places, the timing of his resurgence could hardly be better. England staff believe players who have both recent top-level form and experience of knockout football give the squad its best chance of success, placing Mainoo firmly in that category.

Confirmation of the squad is anticipated later this morning. Should Mainoo feature in the upcoming matches, it will mark his first appearance under Tuchel and a significant step toward booking a seat on the plane to the tournament this summer.