Mikel Arteta has been proven correct about Ayden Heaven’s best attribute after four Man Utd appearances

Mikel Arteta was a big fan of Ayden Heaven before the teenager decided to leave Arsenal and join Manchester United in the January transfer window.

Manchester United signed 18-year-old centre-back Ayden Heaven from Arsenal in January for a reported £1.5 million fee.

Viewed as a first-team option for Ruben Amorim’s squad, Heaven was an unused substitute in matches against Everton and Ipswich before his debut came in the FA Cup clash against Fulham, where he caught the eye with an impressive performance off the bench.

Heaven’s display earned him another opportunity when Leny Yoro was forced off with an injury during the game against his former club Arsenal. Once again, the young defender shone.

This led to his first professional start in United’s most significant match of the season, a 4-1 victory over Real Sociedad in the Europa League, where Heaven was one of the standout performers.

He retained his place in the starting lineup for the Premier League fixture against Leicester City, delivering a superb first-half display. Unfortunately, his momentum was halted by an untimely injury early in the second half.

Arteta proven correct about Heaven’s best attribute

United fans have been pleasantly surprised by the performances of Heaven, particularly relating to his composure.

Despite only playing four times, the teenager looks like he’s been playing for several years at the top level. Against the Foxes, he faked a pass to André Onana before dragging the ball back past the oncoming attacker. He looks assured despite minimal first-team experience.

This is something that former boss Mikel Arteta praised about Heaven while he was still at Arsenal, and he highlighted it after the youngster played against United in pre-season.

Despite having difficulties in a duel against Rasmus Højlund early in the game, Arteta was extremely impressed by the reaction from the defender, who showcased his “remarkable composure”.

“I don’t know how many players are able to do that on a stage like this [at his age],” said the Arsenal boss. “He’s lost a duel against Hojlund, one of the strongest and fastest players in the world, it can happen.

“But the reaction afterwards, the composure, the quality, the body language that he had were all remarkable. I’m really happy with him.”

Injury expert provides assessment on Heaven’s injury

United fans are deeply concerned about the severity of Heaven’s injury, especially given his impressive start at Old Trafford.

With the international break now underway, it’s unlikely that any official updates will be released for several days. However, football injury analyst PhysioScout has shared a preliminary assessment based on the limited footage of the incident.

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According to their analysis, it appeared that Heaven’s left ankle was affected by Daka’s challenge. While ankle injuries can vary in severity, PhysioScout noted that as long as a lower leg fracture is ruled out by United’s medical team, it would generally be considered a “less worrying” injury.

The most optimistic scenario would be a Grade 1 lateral ankle sprain, sidelining Heaven for just one to two weeks. A more severe Grade 3 sprain could see him out for up to six weeks. However, if a lower leg fracture is confirmed, the teenage defender may face a recovery period of up to 10 weeks.

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