Ethan Wheatley will be kept in and around the Man United first-team squad, with the Englishman not set to leave on loan after the Rasmus Hojlund injury.
Manchester United’s 2023/24 season was decimated by first-team injuries ruining the squad. Erik ten Hag fought through that tough period, ending the term with an FA Cup trophy in his arms.
Sadly, the 2024/25 campaign is beginning in similar vein. Leny Yoro is out for at least a few months. Rasmus Hojlund will not play again for at least another month or so, either.
Suddenly, United are looking light in the final third. Joshua Zirkzee is yet to make his mark, while he described himself as a ‘9.5’ rather than an out-and-out number 9.
As a result, Ethan Wheatley’s short-term future has been impacted. According to Manchester World, the United starlet is now set to remain in the first-team squad after the injury issues.
There are currently no plans for the youngster to go out on loan, with Ten Hag ‘keen’ to retain Wheatley’s services until at least January. At that time, his future will be reassessed.
There was probably a chance Wheatley would have departed on loan this season, much like Joe Hugill, though the Englishman will now be kept around, to act as back-up should the Reds’ striker injury issues become any worse.
This tells us that Ten Hag trusts in Wheatley to do a job if called upon. The 18-year-old had a pretty decent pre-season tour, working hard and leading the line well. He may now get the chance to prove his worth in the heat of Premier League battle.
It’ll be interesting to see where Chido Obi-Martin fits in line when he’s available for selection…
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