Man Utd youngster Chido Obi was absent from the U21 squad for their game against Anderlecht on Tuesday.
Chido Obi has a small injury.(Image: 2025 Manchester United FC)
Manchester United youngster Chido Obi was absent from the Under-21 squad against Anderlecht in the Premier League International Cup because he is recovering from a minor injury. Obi last played for the U21s against Notts County in the EFL Trophy on November 4. He is expected to be out for close to a month.
The U21s have played Solihull Moors and Anderlecht since the resumption of domestic football following the November international break, but Obi has continued to be sidelined. Obi has contributed five goals and two assists in 12 appearances this season. The 18-year-old has played exclusively in academy fixtures and has not been included in a senior squad.
Ruben Amorim handed Obi first-team opportunities last season. The young striker made eight senior appearances and impressed during the post-season trip to Malaysia and Hong Kong. Obi started the opening pre-season friendly against Leeds and was involved during the United States tour, but the decision has been made to keep him in the academy.
“Yeah, of course, he played last year,” Amorim said recently about whether Obi could step up to the first-team again. “I think it was too soon, we didn’t have a team. That we can put a young kid with 16, that he will not struggle, or will struggle a little bit, was completely necessary to do that.
“The perfect conditions. We have the opportunity and we seek that opportunity for the kids, so he’s one of the guys, but I think he started too soon. And sometimes it’s hard to deal with that, with the kids, because they think that I’m already here. No, you are here for necessity and we need to be careful also with that.”
In September, U21 manager Travis Binnion told the Manchester Evening News: “When you score as many goals as he has throughout his relatively short life, you can define yourself by goals.
“And we all know there’s probably only two or three strikers in the world who get two goals in every three games. If you’re used to scoring two goals in every game, then recognising what the role is, how you have to go around it takes a little bit of time. He is dying to be a footballer.
“He is hungry. And he’s still learning the game, learning how to project himself and learning how to play within a team, the club’s shape and system, so there’s still lots for him to do.
“The key is he wants to play, he wants to do well and wants to train. He could train every day if he could.”
