Ruben Amorim can unleash a Manchester United partnership Erik ten Hag only used once vs Ipswich

The sight of Kobbie Mainoo back on the grass at the Carrington earlier this week was exactly what Manchester United's supporters wanted to see ahead of Ruben Amorim's first game in charge this weekend.

The academy graduate has been missing for more than a month through injury, last featuring in United's 0-0 draw with Aston Villa at Villa Park on October 6.

Missing the last seven matches, the prospect of Mainoo being in contention for Amorim's debut in the dugout against Ipswich Town at Portman Road on Sunday afternoon will be a welcome boost for the new Reds head coach.

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Next Tuesday will mark exactly a year to the day since Mainoo made his full Premier League debut for United, starring in their 3-0 win over Everton at Goodison Park. Deployed at the base of the midfield that afternoon, he produced an outstanding display.

From that moment onwards, Mainoo became a staple in United's midfield, starting 23 of the their remaining 25 Premier League matches last season. He had gone from being a promising academy product to a first-team undroppable in the blink of an eye.

Although Mainoo made his mark against Everton as a holding midfielder, it soon became apparent he was more comfortable getting on the ball and advancing. He is a forward-thinking player, capable of receiving the ball and looking to attack.

Amid Casemiro's downfall last season, United went into the summer transfer window knowing they had to recruit a world-class defensive-midfielder to sit alongside Mainoo in the engine room. After several months of speculation, Manuel Ugarte joined the club from Paris Saint-Germain on deadline day.

"Signing Manuel was another of our primary targets for this summer," said sporting director Dan Ashworth. "He is among the very best ball-winning midfield players in the world and has an excellent record at both club and international level.

"His qualities, experience and passion will be a great complement to our strong group of midfielders."

Signing a player of Ugarte's profile was exactly what both United and Mainoo needed. The Uruguayan was expected to slot straight into United's first-choice midfield and become Mainoo's perfect partner.

However, former United manager Erik ten Hag, who had made Ugarte his third-choice midfield signing during the summer, was not forthcoming when it came to giving the former Sporting Lisbon man an opportunity to make an early mark at Old Trafford. He featured just seven times under the Dutchman, making four starts.

Of those four starts, it was only on one of them that he lined up alongside Mainoo in midfield. They both started the 3-0 defeat to Tottenham Hotspur at Old Trafford on September 29, but Mainoo was substituted just before half-time with United both 1-0 down and a man down, following the sending off of Bruno Fernandes.

It was a forgettable afternoon, meaning it was hard to assess just how Ugarte and Mainoo could work in tandem.

Since their last and only start together, a lot has changed at Old Trafford, of course. Ten Hag has been sacked and replaced by Ruben Amorim, Mainoo has spent several weeks out injured and Ugarte has earned more minutes as a starter.

The 23-year-old worked with Amorim at Sporting prior to his move to PSG in July 2023 and has made more appearances under the new United boss than any other coach during his senior career, meaning he is highly likely to become an important figure in his plans at United.

Ugarte, under former United interim boss Ruud van Nistelrooy, formed a strong bond with Casemiro in midfield, but Mainoo's recent return to training means he could soon replace the Brazilian in the starting XI, forming Amorim's first-choice midfield next to Ugarte.

On paper, a midfield partnership of Ugarte and Mainoo offers a blend of defensive nous, ball retention and the opportunity to progress the ball. It is the midfield duo many United supporters anticipated becoming the club's first-choice partnership after Ugarte's August arrival.

The likelihood of Amorim installing a 3-4-3 formation means Fernandes, who previously operated as the most advanced midfielder in Ten Hag's preferred 4-3-3, is expected to be forced further forward, leaving two midfield spots up for grabs.

Ugarte is expected to bag one of them and Mainoo should claim the other once he is back up to full fitness, whether that be this weekend or a little further down the line. At the ages of 23 and 19, respectively, they should form United's midfield for the future.