This isn't a concern about an injury but more about his form although his injuries are a bit of a worry.
There's no information behind this post, I haven't got the scoop on anything but rather more one of an observation and simple thought from that observation.
Not so long ago, rumors were circulating that maybe Ruben Amorim doesn't see Kobbie Mainoo as a key player, that he had a problem with his running ability especially defensively and that the youngster could be a player that could leave. There was talk about Mainoo being unhappy with his wages and as a result, could be looking for another club. There is additional news on his wages as apparently the midfielder wants £180k-a-week according to Chris Wheeler.
Is he worth that wage?
All this was just talk at the start but the fact that it came out at all and there's more news on it is a bit unsettling.
I just feel that not only have his performances not been at the level we all know they can be, I feel like Amorim isn't using him as much as he could.
Mainoo has had his injury problems over the two seasons he's been in the first team but since mid-April, he's been regularly available yet the manager has used him sparingly. There is the concern that he could relapse in terms of those injuries and so you don't want to rush him back but surely he could have been playing more than he has done?
There's been games where I felt that he could've started or at least come on earlier than he did. He's only completed two 90 minutes which were the defeats to Brentford and West Ham and in the last five Europa League matches, he played for 7 minutes at Lyon, extra time in the second leg, then just 6 minutes against Bilbao in the semifinal first leg, 9 minutes in the second leg and just the 1 minute in the final. That 1 minute must have been humiliating even for a youngster.
So if he was ready to go and there were players that he could've come in for, why did the manager not use him?
I know that performances have been well below par for a player of his quality even though he is only 20 years old, but I feel as though he should've played a lot more than he has done since that muscle injury that kept him out for over a month.
It is difficult to find a place for him in the team because Mainoo doesn't seem to be suiting the system as well as we would've liked (he was poor again as the no 10 in the losses to Brentford and West Ham) but as he is not playing enough, how will he get used to things?
The fact that Mason Mount is now high on Amorim's list in terms of the no 10 means that that is potentially another player who is ahead of Mainoo. Many would say that captain Bruno is also better suited as a CAM although we don't know what his future holds, Amad can play there or RWB, and it looks like Matheus Cunha will be joining the club. He's a no 10 too.
In terms of the two deeper roles, Mainoo doesn't look like either a no 6 or no 8. He does appear sluggish and slow to react which is obviously a problem in such an important area of the pitch.
Do we want to be losing a player like him though? A youngster with all the quality he has? At the moment, it's hard to see where he fits in but I believe that he is good enough to adapt and improve to play in this system.
What do you think is the problem with Mainoo? Is it something simple or perhaps a little more than that?
Does Ruben Amorim see Kobbie Mainoo as a key player? | Photo by Catherine Ivill - AMA/Getty Images via The Chelsea Chronicle