Manchester United's teenage prodigy JJ Gabriel took part in first-team training on Monday, signaling his potential involvement in the club's pre-season campaign.
Expected Debut Against Rosenborg
The 15-year-old was not available for the initial pre-season friendly against Wrexham due to his return date, but he is now expected to travel to face Rosenborg on Friday at the Lerkendal Stadion in Trondheim. The Manchester Evening News reported in March that United planned to include Gabriel in pre-season this summer.
Pathway to the First Team
United are keen to demonstrate a clear pathway for Gabriel, who is regarded as one of the most exceptional talents to emerge from the club's academy system. Michael Carrick, overseeing pre-season, started senior players against Wrexham before making wholesale changes at halftime to give academy players minutes. He is expected to adopt a similar approach against Rosenborg, potentially giving Gabriel his first-team pre-season debut.
Carrick's Praise for Gabriel
When asked about Gabriel last season, Carrick said: "He's doing really well, JJ. We've got some really good young players in the academy and we try and get the younger players up [with the first team] as much as we can. We're always trying to give that exposure to the players to come and train and feel it."
Carrick added: "JJ is a big talent, it's pretty obvious to know that and he's had a really good season for the U18s. We obviously think an awful lot of him, but patience is important in managing everything that comes with that and working with him in development as we do with all the different younger players and picking the right moment to step up. What he's done when he's trained, he's done well, as you'd expect, and it's good to have the younger players come up with us."
Outstanding Academy Season
Gabriel scored 23 goals in 23 league appearances for United's U18s last season. He also won the U18 Player of the Season award, beating seven other nominees, and received the Jimmy Murphy Young Player of the Year accolade.
