Cole Palmer sends Kobbie Mainoo cryptic three-word message after Man Utd request denied

Chelsea midfielder Cole Palmer has sent a cryptic message to Kobbie Mainoo after his request to leave Manchester United on loan was denied. Frustrated by his lack of opportunities, Mainoo, 20, reportedly asked to leave Old Trafford on a temporary basis in the closing days of the summer transfer window.

After United's 1-1 draw away to Fulham, which marked the second consecutive Premier League game where Mainoo was an unused substitute, Amorim said the midfielder is directly competing with Bruno Fernandes for a place in the starting XI. Things got worse for the young Englishman when he started in United's humiliating League Cup second round exit to Grimsby Town.

Chelsea have previously been linked with him, but the Blues made no approach this summer. The midfielder recently uploaded a picture of himself carrying out his own training sessions during the international break, as well as a cryptic picture of the scene from hit movie Whiplash, where main character Andrew punched a hole in his drum kit, suggesting he is growing restless at his current situation.

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Palmer, who is also absent from England's squad due to a groin injury he picked up before Chelsea's 5-1 away victory over West Ham United, then responded with his own suggestive message in the comment section of Mainoo's post. The ex-Manchester City midfielder wrote: "3 my boy" along with a love heart emoji.

Some interpreted this to mean Mainoo should look for an exit from Old Trafford, although what Palmer ultimately meant remains the subject of conjecture. Last summer, Mainoo started all but two of England's matches to the Euro 2024 final, including the final itself.

Despite the likes of Jude Bellingham, Adam Wharton, Cole Palmer, Bukayo Saka and Phil Foden either being ruled out through injury or not selected, Tuchel chose not to call-up Mainoo.

Similarly to his challenge at Old Trafford, the young midfielder has a difficult task ahead of him when it comes to forcing his way into Tuchel's plans.

The intense, personal training sessions in the gym and on the training field could earn him a start in United's huge clash against Manchester City after the break. With Amorim insistent on deploying his 3-4-3 formation, Mainoo has to either displace Fernandes or Casemiro, a player the United boss has relied upon since his move to Old Trafford.

It's a tall order for the United academy star, as Fernandes is United's captain and, arguably, the club's best player of the last five years, while Casemiro is a specialised, deep-holding midfielder.

Explaining why Mainoo did not get on against Fulham, Amorim said: "Mainoo is fighting for his position with Bruno. I changed two midfielders.

"I left Mason Mount there because we wanted to score a goal and when I changed, I felt the team needed one holding midfielder. So he needs to fight for his position. At the moment he is fighting in training with Bruno for the position."

In the Red Devils' narrow 3-2 home victory over Burnley, Amorim opted to deploy Mainoo ahead of Ugarte, suggesting the youngster has moved one step close to the United boss' thoughts. He boasts 10 international caps for England, having made his debut in the 1-0 home loss to Brazil in March 2024.

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