Manchester United starlet JJ Gabriel has been spotted training with the first-team group ahead of Sunday’s game against Crystal Palace. The teenager, 15, is one of five academy stars who have been given the chance to train with Ruben Amorim’s squad. In the lead-up to the game, the United boss seized the opportunity to evaluate some of his budding talents.
The young players have been included in first-team training due to the demanding schedule for the under-21s, which includes behind-closed-doors matches. Gabriel took part in Thursday’s training session, with the youngster sharing pictures of his involvement on social media. Despite his standout performances at youth level and stepping up in training, Gabriel won’t be able to make his first-team debut until January at the earliest.
That is because Premier League rules state that a player must have turned 15 by August 31 to play this season. Gabriel only celebrated his 15th birthday last month.
However, these regulations don’t apply in the FA Cup. The teenager could therefore potentially make his debut in the third round of the competition in January.
Amorim might still have the chance to give another young player their big break, with the other players seen in training old enough to play in the Premier League.
Noah Ajayi, Shea Lacey, Jim Thwaites and Godwill Kukonki, have also been spotted in senior training ahead of the Crystal Palace clash.
Lacey, who recently turned 18, was named in the squad for Monday night’s defeat to Everton. Despite remaining on the bench throughout the match, his inclusion came as a result of an injury to Matheus Cunha in the run-up to the game.
Speaking about Lacey before the match, Amorim said: “I’m really happy with him. He struggled a little bit with injuries, but they did a very good job balancing his body.
“You can sense he can manage more load during training. He has a lot of talent, but when they come here they can sense the speed is completely different, so they need to spend more time with us to be prepared because our training is hard.
“In the Premier League games, that pressure is harder, so they need to be ready. When you call a kid up to the first team, they need to behave really well.
“This connection is really important. We are putting everything in place – a nutritionist for the academy starts now – in our club. That is something that should be basic.
“All these things we are doing, so I have more time with them and I’m more confident with them. When we put these kids in to play in the Premier League, they will struggle, but will struggle less I think.”
