Manchester United have permitted Chido Obi to rejoin the Under-18 squad for their FA Youth Cup semi-final against Aston Villa, meaning he will be unavailable for the senior team’s upcoming fixture.
The 17-year-old forward of Nigerian descent has been in outstanding form in the competition, scoring seven goals in the first three rounds.
His performances included braces against Coventry City and Preston North End, followed by a hat-trick against Chelsea.
Obi has made four substitute appearances for the senior team, featuring twice in February and twice in March.
Despite Manchester United’s struggles in attack, head coach Ruben Amorim has chosen to prioritize the FA Youth Cup for Obi.
As a result, he will miss Tuesday’s Premier League match against Nottingham Forest, with Joshua Zirkzee and Rasmus Højlund leading the line instead.
There was uncertainty over Obi’s involvement in the tournament after he was left out of the quarter-final.
However, reports from the BBC and Daily Mail confirm that he will start against Aston Villa.
Amorim emphasized the significance of the competition and his decision to allow young players to contribute to the team’s success.
“He is going to play today because we try to imagine the next game, and if you look before, he was on the bench and played just 10 minutes at the end of the game against Fulham,” Amorim said.
He also highlighted the value of the experience for youth players. “It is also really important for our young kids to feel the energy of the game,” he added.
“We are trying to win that competition and build something with the youth, so we are helping both the team and the player.”
