Kobbie Mainoo did not appear in England’s World Cup match against France on Friday because of a last-minute fitness concern. Manchester United’s teen playmaker was held out after showing discomfort during training, pushing coach the gaffer to drop him from the final squad. The call came mere hours before kickoff in a high-stakes fixture placed in France. England’s coaching staff insisted Mainoo’s exclusion was necessary. Thomas Tuchel, speaking at RC Lens, called it unnecessarily harsh. Commentators have since restarted the debate about how teams handle injury protocols and team selections during prestige tournaments.