Kobbie Mainoo has travelled with the Manchester United squad to London ahead of this afternoon’s clash with Chelsea.

The highly-rated midfielder has missed the last four games through injury, but is now poised to return to the side after training in the lead-up to today’s contest.

Kobbie Mainoo to make injury return vs Chelsea

It comes as a major boost for Michael Carrick, as United are winless in the nine matches he hasn’t started in 2026.

Of the 23 times he has been named in the starting XI, the Reds have won 14 games.

The ‘immense’ 21-year-old has also yet to feature from the off alongside summer signing Carlos Baleba, who has impressed in his first appearances in red, even amidst the side’s dismal run of form.

It’s expected Baleba and Mainoo will be Carrick’s first-choice partnership in midfield when both are fit, so it remains to be seen how Andrey Santos and Youri Tielemans, both of whom also arrived in the summer, will be utilised in the coming months.

United’s team news for matchweek nine

Elsewhere in Carrick’s squad for the 12.30pm kick-off, Marcus Rashford and Luke Shaw remain unavailable.

The former is nursing a hip injury that he is said to have been carrying since the World Cup, and his last appearance came on October 13 in the Champions League defeat away to Atletico Madrid.

Manuel Ugarte and Patrick Dorgu are long-term absentees, while Benjmain Sesko will be out of action until at least January due to the re-aggravation of his shin injury.

His setback has, according to The Athletic, prompted INEOS to enter the market for a centre-forward in January.

They have set their sights on experienced frontman Dominic Calvert-Lewin. However, Leeds united are now actively working to tie their talisman down to an extended deal after learning of their arch-rivals’ interest.