Manchester United’s Young Players Have A Chance To Impress In Spain

Twenty four days after Manchester United brought to a close the first half of their season with a win over Fulham they are back in action on Wednesday night with a friendly against Cadiz at the Nuevo Mirandilla stadium.

This is the first of two games in southern Spain, the second is against Real Betis at the Benito Villamarin stadium on Saturday, to prepare them for the resumption of their season in two weeks’ time after the World Cup finishes.

The Old Trafford club still have eleven players involved in the tournament in Qatar, who will return once their countries have been eliminated.

This gives the young players United manager Erik ten Hag named in his 29-man squad for these mid-season games a chance to impress and show they deserve more game time in the second half of the season.

“It’s the normal objectives for every training camp but certainly to get back into the rhythm of the game,” Ten Hag said earlier this week.

“So first, fitness levels and then second, the way of playing. But we are here with a mixed team, so I have to talk about several objectives.”

“We have a lot of young players with us as well and they have to support us but they can show us what they have to offer, what their capabilities are and what their potential is and if you can use them, if they have a future.”

“I think it’s a great opportunity for them. Normally we don’t have this break and now we have this break. Many players are at the World Cup, so there are positions available and the young players can get used in these positions.”

“They can show themselves and they can challenge players who play in the Premier League, so it’s fantastic for them.”

United’s 19-year-old midfielder Zidane Iqbal is one player keen to impress as following his first team debut as a late substitute in the Champions League last year he has not featured in the senior team this season.

The Manchester-born Iraqi international has been on the bench for all of United’s six games in the Europa League this season, as well as for three Premier League games, but has so far not been called upon.

Iqbal is highly rated by United’s coaches, impressed on last summer’s pre-season tour and has trained with the first team this season.

United are considering whether to let him leave on loan in the January transfer window, but the two games in Spain offer him the chance to prove he deserves to stay.

Charlie Savage is another 19-year-old midfielder looking to stake his claim, who made his first team debut in the same game as Iqbal last season.

The son of the former Leicester and Blackburn player Robbie, the younger Savage signed his first professional contract in May 2001, but is still looking to force his way back into the first team after that initial taste.

Last month the Wales manager Rob Page mentioned Savage as a possible squad member for the World Cup finals, but eventually decided against it, and the player could also potentially leave Old Trafford on a six-month loan in January.

The recent departure of Cristiano Ronaldo has given the club’s stable of young strikers a possible short-term window to gain some game time, including 20-year-old Frenchman Noam Emeran, 19-year-old Charlie McNeil, who made his first team debut in the Europa League against Real Sociedad in September, and 19-year-old Joe Hugill.