Manchester United starlet J.J. Gabriel was spotted training with the first-team group ahead of Sunday’s match against Crystal Palace. The 15-year-old teenager is one of five academy stars given the chance to train with coach Ruben Amorim’s side. In the lead-up to the game, the United manager took the opportunity to assess some of his budding talent.
Due to the tough schedule for the under-21 team, which includes games behind closed doors, young players are taking part in first-team training. Gabriel took part in Thursday’s training session, and Gabriel shared photos from his participation on social media. Despite his impressive performances at youth level and his progress in training, Gabriel is unlikely to make his first-team debut until January at the earliest.
Premier League regulations state that players must be 15 years old by August 31 to play this season. Gabriel just celebrated his 15th birthday last month.
However, these rules do not apply to the FA Cup. The teenager could therefore make his debut in the third round of the competition in January.
Amorim may still have the chance to give another youngster his big break, as the others are believed to be old enough to play in the Premier League and are training.
Noah Ajayi, Shea Lacey, Jim Thwaites and Godwill Kukonki were also spotted taking part in senior training ahead of the game against Crystal Palace.
Lacey, who recently turned 18, was named in the squad for Monday night’s game against Everton. He was on the bench throughout the game, but was forced to play just before the game due to an injury to Matheus Cunha.
Before the game, Amorim said of Lacey: “I’m really happy for him. He struggled a bit with injuries, but they balanced his body really well.
“We can see that he can manage more loads during training. He has a lot of talent, but when he comes here they can feel that the speed is completely different. So our training is hard, so they need to spend more time with us to get ready.”
“In a Premier League game, the pressure is more intense so they need to be ready. When you call a kid into the first team, they need to behave really well.”
“This connection is really important. We have everything in place at the club. The academy nutritionist starts now. It’s fundamental.”
“We’re doing all these things so I spend more time with them and I have more confidence in them. I think when we get these kids playing in the Premier League they’re going to struggle, but they’re going to struggle less.”
