Paul Scholes has urged England manager Thomas Tuchel not to play Manchester United midfielder Kobbie Mainoo in the World Cup last-16 clash against Mexico, arguing it would be unfair on the young star given his lack of tournament minutes. Scholes, speaking after England's dramatic 2-1 win over DR Congo in the round-of-32, said Mainoo has been overlooked entirely and should not be thrown into a high-pressure game at the Azteca Stadium.
Scholes questions Mainoo's inclusion
England advanced to the last-16 after trailing DR Congo for over an hour following Brian Cipenga's early goal, with Harry Kane scoring twice late on to secure victory. The Three Lions now face co-hosts Mexico, who topped Group A with wins over South Africa, South Korea, and Czech Republic, and have yet to concede a goal in the tournament. Debate has intensified over Tuchel's team selection, with Scholes expressing disappointment that Mainoo and Arsenal's Eberechi Eze have barely featured.
“There's no way he's going to play Kobbie Mainoo, he's never going to do that, no chance,” Scholes said. When asked why Tuchel included Mainoo in the squad if he wasn't going to play him, Scholes replied: “I don't know. But do you know what? It would probably be the wrong thing to do for Kobbie now. He's been out there for three or four weeks but he's not played a game. Imagine if all of a sudden he's got to come in. It's probably not fair on Kobbie to ask him to come in now.”
Nicky Butt wants Mainoo to start
Former Manchester United teammate Nicky Butt has taken a different view, calling for Mainoo to start against Mexico. “I think if we're going to beat Mexico then we have to be more expansive in midfield and play Kobbie Mainoo or Eberechi Eze,” Butt said on The Good, The Bad & The Football podcast. However, Scholes countered that Tuchel has shown no intention of changing his approach.
Scholes also criticised Tuchel's overall squad selection, suggesting the German coach has abandoned his attacking principles. “We brought Thomas Tuchel in because he's been at big clubs and played brilliant football. But I feel like we've made him into an English manager. He's picked these players but I don't think they are the type of players he wants to work with. He wants to play the game the right way but he's left players with the most flair out of the squad. Cole Palmer, brilliant player, same with Phil Foden – they weren't in the best form but this team are playing bad football. The two best footballers he's got are Kobbie Mainoo and Eberechi Eze but he isn't playing them. Those two can make a team play good football but he's not playing them.”
England's World Cup struggles
England topped Group L with seven points from nine but have largely struggled for fluency and control. The round-of-32 performance against DR Congo was particularly concerning, with Scholes describing it as “bad.” Mexico, under Javier Aguirre, have been formidable, winning all their matches without conceding a goal. The last-16 tie will be played in the early hours of Monday morning at the iconic Azteca Stadium.
England last won the World Cup in 1966, and Tuchel faces mounting pressure to deliver a deep run. Scholes believes the manager's cautious approach could backfire, but he maintains that Mainoo should not be thrust into action after being sidelined for weeks.
