The Red Devils are on the road in their next Champions League outing, taking on Atletico Madrid on matchday two of the league phase.
They arrive at the Estadio Metropolitano off a 4-0 win over Sabah in their opening game, which was their first in Europe’s top competition since 2023.
Mainoo, 21, has established himself as a first-team regular under Michael Carrick after struggling to cement a starting berth under previous boss Ruben Amorim.
Shining light: Kobbie Mainoo
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“Having a boss like Carrick who has won everything here and seen the glory times, I want to bring that back,” the United academy graduate told Amazon Prime.
“I want to feel that feeling. I want to win and I want to win a lot. That’s my dream, for this club to be at the top again.”
The England international withdrew from the Three Lions’ Nations League camp looking to manage his load after a heavy start to the new campaign, which has seen Mainoo start five of United’s six league games so far.
He broke into the first-team fold under previous manager Erik ten Hag, and he featured in the Red Devils’ last forays into Europe’s premier competition three years ago.
“My first season was my first glimpse of Champions League football and I was 18,” he explained.
“I’d come on against Bayern and Galatasaray. I came in the late stages and we were out. I was like ‘I need to feel that again. I need to be under those lights again.'”
United take on Atletico Madrid on matchday two, before returning to league action at Leeds United this weekend.