Manchester United manager Ruben Amorim has integrated several promising academy stars into first-team training, with 15-year-old sensation JJ Gabriel catching the eye ahead of Sunday's Premier League fixture against Crystal Palace.
Academy Stars Get First-Team Opportunity
The Portuguese head coach is assessing the club's young talent during the build-up to the 12pm kickoff at Selhurst Park. Due to the intense schedule for the U21s, which includes behind-closed-doors matches, five youth prospects have been training with the senior squad.
JJ Gabriel, who only celebrated his 15th birthday last month, was among those participating in Thursday's session. The highly-rated youngster took to social media to share images from his experience training alongside United's established stars.
Premier League Regulations Delay Debut
Despite his impressive performances for the Under-18s and this step up in training, Gabriel cannot make his first-team debut until January at the earliest. This is due to Premier League regulations requiring players to have turned 15 by August 31 to feature this season.
However, these restrictions don't apply to the FA Cup, meaning the teenager could potentially make his debut in the competition's third round in early January.
Other Prospects in Contention
Amorim might have earlier opportunities to blood other young talents, with the four other academy players training with the first team all being old enough to feature in Premier League matches.
Shea Lacey, the 18-year-old forward who was an unused substitute in Monday's defeat to Everton, has been training with the squad after earning his place due to Matheus Cunha's injury.
Also involved are 17-year-old left winger Noah Ajayi, midfielder Jim Thwaites, and centre-back Godwill Kukonki.
Discussing Lacey's development, Amorim commented: "I'm really happy with him. He struggled a little bit with injuries, but they did a very good job balancing his body - and you can sense he can manage more load during training."
The United boss emphasised the importance of integrating young players carefully, noting: "When you call a kid up to the first team, they need to behave really well. This connection is really important."
With Amad, Bryan Mbeumo, and Noussair Mazraoui all departing for the Africa Cup of Nations in January, United's academy prospects may receive increased opportunities to make their mark in the coming months.
