As Manchester United prepare for what many think is a must-win game against Sunderland, two Academy talents trained with the first team, which could hint at Rúben Amorim’s focus for the game.
Manchester United are preparing for their seventh Premier League clash of the new season this weekend, when they host Sunderland at Old Trafford.
Ruben Amorim’s side head into the clash in 14th place. Coming off the back of a very disappointing 3-1 loss to Brentford, pressure has been increasing on Amorim as rumours of a potential sacking have started to circulate.
United will be looking for their third win of the season across all competitions, with their two victories coming in a narrow win against Chelsea and Burnley.
The loss to Brentford was the first time that new signings Matheus Cunha, Bryan Mbeumo and Benjamin Šeško had started together as a front-three, but the game was overshadowed by several defensive mistakes.
Ahead of the fixture on the 4th of October, two Academy prospects were spotted training with the first team, which could hint at what the Portuguese coach plans to do.
Chido Obi and Victor Musa join first-team training
After enjoying a breakout season last campaign, Chido Obi has been developing well with the U21s, scoring three goals in five Premier League 2 matches.
Having played for the first team before, it is no surprise that the Danish striker was called up to train with the first-team this week, but the inclusion of Victor Musa is a little more left-field.
Previously described by some outlets as ‘United’s answer to Barcelona’s Lamine Yamal’, Musa thrived last season in the U18s, scoring 16 goals in 19 appearances, but has so far been unable to translate that to the U21s side this season.
The pair’s call-up to first-team training was spotted by Nathan Salt, after Man Utd invited the relatives of players and head coach Ruben Amorim to watch the team train and take a first-hand look at the state-of-the-art upgrades to Carrington.
Having spent around £214 million on a brand new front three in Šeško, Cunha and Mbeumo, the problem surrounding the lack of goals that was present last season is still present.
The fact that he’s called up two Academy strikers could hint at the manager’s demands for more goals from the team, having scored just seven in six games.
Lack of minutes for Academy talent
While Amorim hasn’t hesitated to call up Academy stars to train with the first team during his time at the club, giving them minutes has been a separate problem.
This season, despite the senior players consistently underperforming, minutes for academy talent have been hard to come by, with Amorim opting to stick to his current first-team players, rather than giving the youth a chance.
Read More: Rúben Amorim told what he said in December 2024 will be his “downfall” at Manchester United
The main problem that the youth at United have is the significant lack of minutes available following the lack of European football, owing to their loss to Tottenham Hotspur in the Europa League final.
What has made it even more difficult is the embarrassing exit to Grimsby Town in the second round of the Carabao Cup, meaning United will only play one game a week until the third round of the FA Cup, which gets underway on the 10th of January.
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