Manchester United head coach Ruben Amorim has allegedly included five academy players in his travelling squad for Sunday's Premier League clash with Tottenham Hotspur in North London.
The Red Devils will definitely be without the services of Luke Shaw, Lisandro Martinez, Mason Mount and Jonny Evans for the league contest, while it is understood that Kobbie Mainoo is facing a spell out with an injury that he suffered in training last week.
Manuel Ugarte and Toby Collyer are also believed to be doubts due to their issues of their own, while Amorim said during his press conference on Friday that one or two could also be absent due to illness; it has since been claimed by journalist Chris Wheeler, via the Daily Mail, that an ankle problem will keep Amad Diallo out for the remainder of the campaign.
As a result, the Red Devils head coach is said to have turned to his academy to plug the gaps left by first-team absentees.
Amorim confirmed that Chido Obi had been training with the first team ahead of the trip to the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, and according to Academy Scoop, the 17-year-old could be in the matchday squad against Spurs.
"I don't want to say names. We have to be careful on that. We have problems this week, we called some young players to be in our training. We have some data evaluation. He is one of them," said Amorim when asked about Obi.
The teenager scored 32 goals in 18 appearances for Arsenal Under-18s last season, including 28 goals in his final nine appearances of the campaign, while he has 12 goals in 12 appearances at Under-18s and Under-21s level for Man United this term, including a hat trick against Chelsea Under-19s in the FA Youth Cup last week.
© Imago
Five academy stars 'travelling with Man United' for Tottenham clash
The report claims that 19-year-old midfielder Sekou Kone, 17-year-old defender Harry Amass, 19-year-old midfielder Jack Moorhouse and 18-year-old goalkeeper Elyh Harrison are also heading down to London.
Kone and Moorhouse have seemingly been included due to the likely absences of Mainoo, Ugarte and Collyer.
Meanwhile, Harrison's alleged involvement suggests that either Tom Heaton or Altay Bayindir are not available, with the pair not included in the squad against Leicester City in the FA Cup last time out.
Amass' future was the subject of speculation in January, with a number of clubs believed to have expressed an interest in signing the highly-rated defender on loan, but he stayed at Old Trafford.
Obi's involvement is likely to draw the biggest attention, as he is regarded as one of the best young talents in world football, and Man United are currently struggling for inspiration in the final third of the field.
Matt Law
