Manchester United’s fine run in the Premier League has seen them jump from bottom of the table to fifth place, just three points behind leaders Arsenal.
And now the four-match winning momentum needs to be carried forward into the Europa League with the Red Devils opening their campaign against Real Sociedad on Thursday night.
Rotation likely
Erik ten Hag has hinted at certain changes in personnel as he seeks to give minutes to players who have not played as much with the fixtures set to come thick and fast.
But the priority remains to win every game and the Dutch manager will be putting out a strong side in the opening encounters so as to secure qualification for the next stage as soon as possible.
That will allow the former Ajax boss to rotate players more freely and there will be chances for academy graduates to impress along the way.
Keeping this in mind, United have added six academy products to the B list for the club’s Europa League squad which has been confirmed by the club’s media department.
Players on the B list for #mufc's Europa League squad: Radek Vitek, Tyler Fredricson, Zidane Iqbal, Kobbie Mainoo, Anthony Elanga, Shola Shoretire, Charlie McNeill.
— The United Stand (@UnitedStandMUFC) September 8, 2022
The players include — goalie Radek Vitek, central defender Tyler Fredricson, midfielders Kobbie Mainoo, Zidane Iqbal, Shola Shoretire and centre-forward Charlie McNeill.
Time for the Academy to shine
The sextet have impressed in age-group games and they will be hoping to impress the first-team manager in training so that they can at least make the bench in most games.
Fredricson’s displays during the FA Youth Cup title winning charge caught everyone’s eye and he will be hoping to carry on in the same vein.
Mainoo is yet another part of the FA Youth Cup-winning group. His displays have earned him comparisons with former Red Paul Pogba and he certainly has similar attributes and that has been on show during the current Under-21s season.
Iqbal was one of the breakout stars of the pre-season campaign and he is the eldest of the group. There have been murmurs that Ten Hag has personally wanted to keep a hold of him instead of sending him out on loan.
Shoretire had made his European debut for the Red Devils back in 2021 when he had come on as a substitute against Thursday’s opponents Real Sociedad in a 0-0 draw.
McNeill’s goal records at youth level have always been phenomenal and fans are eager to see him get opportunities considering the lack of options up front for the manager.
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