Kobbie Mainoo could do without brother's desperate Man Utd sideshow - he has to impress NOW

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Perhaps Casemiro had an early sight of the T-shirt worn by Kobbie Mainoo’s brother and deliberately got himself booked. Or perhaps the seasoned Brazilian midfielder just fancied a couple of days off before Christmas. The old trick.

Either way, Casemiro’s yellow card, making him unavailable for Sunday’s trip to Villa Park, should, indeed, Free Kobbie Mainoo. If the 20-year-old England midfielder is not given his first Premier League start of the season on Sunday, then he really has to push for a move away from Old Trafford.

But - and it is a big ‘but’ - the club’s hierarchy is under no obligation whatsoever to let Mainoo go, whether Ruben Amorim has him in his next line-up or not. It is not as if he is a massive drain on finances and his modest contract has a year and a half to run.

The suggestion is that Mainoo wants more game-time so he can make a case for going to the World Cup with England. But, harsh as it may sound, that is not of any concern to Amorim and Manchester United.

The second half of this season could make or break Amorim’s Old Trafford tenure. With no European commitments - and with the overall standard of the Premier League not exceptional - there are no excuses if United fail to secure a Champions League place for next season. None at all.

So, if Amorim believes Mainoo might be of use to him in any way in the second half of this season, then he is entitled to keep him. And, even though most of us believe a parting of the ways would be best all round, Mainoo will have to get on with it.

His brother’s T-shirt is a sideshow Kobbie could really do without. It has nothing to do with the player himself, let’s get that straight.

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No-one could question Mainoo’s professionalism. Absolutely not. No-one could accuse Mainoo of feeling he is entitled to a regular starting place. Absolutely not.

It is clear, though, that some do, and Kobbie’s brother is not alone. But what Mainoo needs to do is prove himself to Amorim, who is going nowhere.

Last season, the United manager gave Mainoo 12 Premier League starts and United won only two of those matches, losing eight and drawing two. In the second of those two wins, United were a goal down to Southampton at half-time and Amorim replaced Mainoo. United went on to win 3-1.

In Mainoo’s last six Premier League starts, United have lost five and drawn one. He did well when coming on for the last half-hour or so of the remarkable draw with Bournemouth but did not stand out.

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Despite the hypercritical views of pundits such as Paul Scholes, there are no obvious signs of Amorim keeping Mainoo on the fringes because he is not convinced about his character. He is simply not convinced Mainoo is one of the best midfielders at the club.

Odd as it may seem to those of us who watched his emergence and were full of admiration for his maturity, composure and brilliance, that is Amorim’s prerogative. And right now, his view is the one that matters.

Mainoo should not take any flak for his brother’s daft T-shirt stunt. But it is time to roll up his sleeves and - if the manager allows him to - prove his worth to United.