"He has a lot of experience" - Erik ten Hag reveals reason for starting 27-year-old Manchester United star in UCL fixture against Galatasaray

Manchester United manager Erik ten Hag has shed light on his decision to start 27-year-old Sofyan Amrabat in their Champions League encounter against Galatasaray. The Dutch tactician was expected to opt for young sensation Kobbie Mainoo, but decided to start the on-loan midfielder instead for their crucial encounter on Matchday 5 of the Champions League.

Mainoo had wowed spectators with his display during United's 3-0 win over Everton at Goodison Park. However, for the subsequent match in Istanbul, Mainoo found himself relegated to the bench as Amrabat got the nod instead.

Ten Hag explained his decision in an interview with TNT Sports (via Metro):

"First of all, Sofyan is used to playing in big games but also such circumstances. He’s from Morocco, north Africa, south Europe, Italy, he has a lot of experience to play such games, such atmospheres."

The manager expressed his confidence in Mainoo's abilities, but emphasized the importance of managing the young player's workload:

"So I am comfortable with Kobbie, we have seen on Sunday what he can do [in a hostile environment]. But he can’t play every game. He’s coming back from an injury and he’s a junior. So he has to get used to playing a number of games at a high level in a high intensity."

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Dimitar Berbatov advises caution for rising Manchester United star Kobbie Mainoo

Former Manchester United striker Dimitar Berbatov has cautioned Kobbie Mainoo against resting on his laurels following his impressive Premier League debut for Manchester United against Everton. Mainoo's first start in the Premier League was marked by a standout performance at Goodison Park, earning him considerable acclaim.

During a conversation with Betfair, Berbatov recognized the talent and potential in Mainoo, but also offered a pragmatic perspective (via Daily Post):

“Lot of people are rightly praising Kobbie Mainoo’s performance. Let’s hope it is the first of many because sometimes we are too quick to jump to conclusions. Just let the boy be, let’s hope he’s going to continue on the path of his development and let’s hope he will have many more games like this. He will have difficult games in the future."

Berbatov pointed out that there are several examples of players who started strong but failed to sustain their performance:

“Let’s take it easy for a moment, it’s just one game! It’s a great start, but in the past, there were players with five great games, but they disappeared.”

Mainoo has played just one Premier League game this season. He held onto the ball well against the Toffees and was vital in keeping Manchester United's clean sheet.