Why Kobbie Mainoo and Marcus Rashford missed Manchester United’s Leeds pre-season friendly
Marcus Rashford and Kobbie Mainoo did not feature for Manchester United in the pre-season friendly against Leeds United at Croke Park in Dublin on August 12, 2026, because they had insufficient training time after their post-World Cup holidays. Manager Michael Carrick chose not to risk either player in the match.
Manchester United’s pre-season build-up has included a 1-0 loss to Wrexham, a 5-0 victory over Rosenborg and a 2-1 win against Atletico Madrid, and the side drew 1-1 with Paris Saint-Germain before the Leeds fixture. The club have one friendly remaining on August 15 against Ruben Amorim’s AC Milan to wrap up their pre-season, and will open their Premier League campaign against Hull City on August 22. United added Andrey Santos, Youri Tielemans and Karl Darlow during the transfer window and finished third in the Premier League last season; they will return to the Champions League in 2026–2027.
Only a few days before the Leeds game both Rashford and Mainoo returned to United’s camp in Ireland, limiting their available training time. That curtailed preparation was cited as the reason they were not included in the matchday plans against Leeds.
“Carrick made the decision to avoid taking a chance on them too soon in the preseason,” the club’s management determined when selecting the squad for Croke Park. The manager’s choice kept the pair out of action as United managed the players’ load ahead of the final friendly.
According to the club’s assessment, neither player is yet fit enough to feature in the pre-season fixtures completed so far. They are likely to play their first pre-season minutes against AC Milan on Saturday, when United conclude their preparations.
United’s remaining schedule gives the coaching staff one final opportunity to integrate the returning players before competitive fixtures begin; the clash with AC Milan on August 15 will serve as the immediate test ahead of the Premier League opener on August 22.
