Pundits Push Tuchel to Start Kobbie Mainoo for England vs DR Congo
Growing public calls to pick Mainoo reflect his late-season form and the fact he has not yet played at the World Cup.
Overview
- England face DR Congo in the World Cup Round of 32 at Atlanta Stadium on Wednesday, July 1 with a 17:00 BST kickoff that is live on BBC One and BBC Radio 5 Live.
- Kobbie Mainoo has not yet played at the tournament despite a strong second half of the 2025/26 season under Michael Carrick that won him a new Manchester United contract and a spot in Thomas Tuchel’s 26-man squad.
- Tuchel has started Declan Rice and Elliot Anderson in all three Group L matches and used Jordan Henderson from the bench instead of Mainoo in the win over Panama.
- Former players including Wayne Rooney and Emile Heskey have publicly urged Tuchel to start Mainoo, a line of opinion that could increase pressure on the manager but does not change the official team selection.
- Reports that Anderson is close to a club-record £116m move to Manchester City are developing and could influence selection choices and transfer focus after the England-DR Congo match.