Manchester United's rising star misses out, ending an 88-year record; Lima ruled out of comeback! Amrabat motivates Szeszko

Manchester United headed to London on Friday in preparation for their Premier League match at Tottenham the following day. The academy’s promising talent, Kobe Meno, was left out of the squad, replaced by Darren Fletcher’s son, Jack Fletcher. Lisandro Martínez, just back from a lengthy injury, was also absent, pushing his comeback beyond the international window.

The Red Devils players took a train from Stockport station to London on Friday afternoon. At the pre-match press conference, Ruben Amrabat did not mention any injury updates, but English media reported that 20-year-old Meno had a minor injury preventing him from playing. This coincided with Meno being left out of the England squad due to limited playing time this season, as Tuchel continues to overlook him. He also missed the previous game against Nottingham Forest, marking his second consecutive absence.

According to English media, Meno is increasingly unhappy with his diminishing role under Amrabat and plans to seek a transfer in the January window. Amrabat has expressed a desire to keep the midfield talent, but Meno has only started once in 11 matches across all competitions, mainly appearing as a substitute in the Premier League with just 138 minutes played.

Amrabat clearly stated there is no spot for Meno in the starting lineup. "Today I saw Kobe (Meno) training, and he definitely deserves game time. However, that would mean benching another player who has been performing excellently. We were supposed to still be playing in the League Cup, and I wanted to see Kobe’s and Joshua’s (Zirkzee) performances. These players all deserve minutes, but ultimately, choices must be made because there is only one match per week. So, it’s a double-edged sword."

Mason Mount was also absent, leading to the call-up of young Jack Fletcher. The 18-year-old midfielder plays for Manchester United’s reserves and was included in the matchday squad in October 2024, sitting on the bench for the Premier League game against Brentford. He was also named in squads for matches against West Ham and Chelsea but did not feature.

Notably, Jack Fletcher only joined Manchester United in November 2023 and has yet to meet the club’s youth academy standards. Therefore, if backup goalkeeper Tom Heaton is not selected, Manchester United’s record of having at least one academy graduate in every match squad since 1937 will end. For 88 years, United have featured youth graduates in 4,332 consecutive matches.

The 27-year-old Argentine center-back Lima resumed team training last week but, having been out for 10 months, requires more time to regain full fitness. Manchester United will not rush his return to the pitch.

In October, Amrabat led Manchester United to three consecutive Premier League wins over Sunderland, Liverpool, and Brighton, earning him the Premier League Manager of the Month award for October. Although last weekend’s match against relegation-threatened Nottingham Forest ended in a 2-2 draw, Amrabat remains optimistic about facing Tottenham despite United’s recent struggles against them.

However, Amrabat admitted that the €85 million striker Szeszko’s performance has been disappointing, and the player himself is dissatisfied with his record of 2 goals in 11 games. This is even less than Danish forward Hojlund, who scored 3 goals in his first 11 appearances.

But Amrabat expressed confidence in Szeszko: "I’m relaxed, but Szeszko is somewhat concerned. I understand football well; it’s normal to face difficulties. He has no Premier League experience, and when everyone calls you a future star, the pressure builds. Manchester United’s standards are high, and if you underperform weekly, you face criticism from club legends, commentators, and the English media. You have to admit sometimes their points are valid."

Inside sources at Manchester United emphasize that Szeszko is very hardworking, arriving at training at 8 a.m. despite sessions starting at 9 a.m., and leaving Carrington only at 4 p.m., two hours past official finishing time. Club executives believe he is better than Hojlund and more suited to Amrabat’s 3-4-3 system.

Amrabat added: "For a young player, recognizing the situation and maintaining confidence is very challenging, especially for those who like to control the game but can’t always do so. However, training with Szeszko has shown me his potential is greater than I initially thought. He will face challenges, and we need to understand his style and tailor tactics accordingly. So, I’m calm about this. He will be our long-term number 9, though setbacks are inevitable in any career."

The Manchester United head coach concluded: "No one wants to be criticized, but Szeszko is in trouble, and that’s a fact. Let’s accept reality; this isn’t a personal issue. I try to explain to players that evaluations can drastically change in three weeks — what’s right now might be wrong then. It’s hard to adapt at first, but my advice to Szeszko is to persevere, gradually adjust, and eventually everything will improve naturally. We will support and protect him; he works hard, everyone wants him to succeed, and he definitely will."

Manchester United’s squad for the Tottenham match: Sena Ramses, Alty Bayindir, Heaton; Diogo Dalot, Patrick Dogu, Eden Haven, Lenny Yaro, De Ligt, Maguire, Luke Shaw, Mazraoui; Ugarte, Casemiro, Bruno Fernandes, Fletcher; Cunha, Szeszko, Mbemo, Zirkzee, Amad Diallo.