There could be a youthful face or two on the bench when Manchester United return to Europa League action this week. Erik ten Hag's side welcome Omonia to Old Trafford on Thursday night, knowing another win is vital if they are to secure their passage into the knockout stage of the competition.
With a packed fixture schedule and bigger tests on the horizon, it should be another chance for United to demonstrate their impressive squad depth, and an opportunity for the manager to give his talented youngsters a taste of senior football.
United's preparation for the match has been hampered by another injury to Anthony Martial, leaving Cristiano Ronaldo as the only fit senior striker for the match. He famously netted twice on his homecoming against Newcastle last year and will be eager to lead the line against the same opponent again this weekend.
It means Ten Hag might need to adapt to the Omonia match with a different look to his forward line, perhaps utilising Marcus Rashford in the central role that he still doesn't quite fit into, or by shifting another player into a false nine role like he has done with Antony and Christian Eriksen already this season.
In any case, United are set to be without recognised back-up options, with Martial unlikely to be risked for the low-stakes match, regardless of his latest injury diagnosis.
United will have the luxury of naming 11 substitutes if they wish for the matchday squad. And it seems likely teenage forward Charlie McNeill will get another call-up, though it will come too soon for the returning Joe Hugill to be involved.
The teenage strikers have both trained with the first-team this week and had the chance to catch the eye of Ten Hag, a priceless opportunity to show the manager what they have to offer right now.
McNeill, 19, has already been handed his debut in the competition, featuring in the last European home match against Real Sociedad, and following it up with a place on the bench away at FC Sheriff. He still has a long way to go if he is to ever make a meaningful impact at first-team level, but given his natural scoring instinct and reading of the game, he is now at an age where he should expect more senior involvement to aid his progression.
Hugill, 18, has yet to feature for the club’s academy sides this season after a long injury lay-off but is now nearing a return to action and is eager to make up for lost time by impressing the new manager. For him, the immediate focus is just to get back on the pitch again, though there is an extra incentive now that he has a relatable role model in McNeill as someone who has made a senior debut.
The teenage duo have enjoyed a healthy rivalry ever since they both joined the club in the summer of 2020 and have been spurred on to try and outscore one another as they make their way through the youth ranks.
They both joined the club with a reputation for being lethal scorers at an early age, but were both given extra training by United coaches in an effort to add more to their game, particularly in regards to their link-up play and physicality.
Having both featured in the historic Youth Cup victory over Nottingham Forest earlier in the year, the next ambition is for them to motivate each other on to make the transition from young hopefuls to first-team fringes.
It will take a lot of hard work and application to do that, along with a good slice of luck, but with United unable to address their striker shortage until next year, two signings from 2020 might provide a short-term solution.
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