Early Squad News: Man United name youthful 18-man squad for game vs Astana

Manchester United Football Club have always been about developing youth and giving talented up-and-comers their chance. Why change the habit of a lifetime?

Ole Gunnar Solskjaer and his team headed out to Kazakhstan last night, with the 20-time Premier League champions naming an incredibly young 18-man squad for the game – including no fewer than SIXTEEN academy graduates, and fourteen(!) teenagers.

There could be as many as ten first-team debuts handed out, which is just insane when you think about it. Though with qualification already secured, it’s certainly a risk worth taking.

Manchester United squad in full via the BBC:

Goalkeepers: Lee Grant (36), Matej Kovar (19).

Defenders: Max Taylor (19), Luke Shaw (24), Axel Tuanzebe (22), Teden Mengi (17), Di’Shon Bernard (19), Ethan Laird (18).

Midfielder: Dylan Levitt (19), Ethan Galbraith (18), Arnau Puigmal (18), James Garner (18), Jesse Lingard (26), Tahith Chong (19), Angel Gomes (19).

Forwards: Largie Ramazani (19), D’Mani Bughail-Mellor (19), Mason Greenwood (18).

You’d imagine that Jesse Lingard and Lee Grant are shoe-ins to start, but aside from that, the starting XI is going to be so young. Even with the 36-year-old Grant in the squad, the average age is just under 21!

Some players to look out for include midfielder Dylan Levitt, defender Ethan Laird and forward Largie Ramazani. Max Taylor’s story is also pretty special. He underwent treatment for testicular cancer earlier this year, now he’s in line for a senior debut.

It’ll also be superb to see Luke Shaw and Axel Tuanzebe involved following injury, while I’ll be keeping a keen eye on Angel Gomes and Tahith Chong – who have largely underwhelmed despite coming into this season with promise aplenty.

About Jordan Street 19808 Articles
Mancunian. Red through and through. Season Ticket holder block E332.

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