Manchester United U18 will begin the FA Youth League campaign on Wednesday night against Coventry, with Adam Lawrence looking to complete his U18 trophy cabinet.
Last season, the Manchester United U18s won the treble, claiming the Premier League Cup, Premier League North and the National championship crown.
The one mark on Adam Lawrence’s record and preventing a perfect season was not winning the FA Youth Cup.
This season, United have potentially an even better U18 side than last season and will be eager to make amends and lift the trophy this season – following the success of Alejandro Garnacho and Kobbie Mainoo in 2022.
Therefore a very strong line-up can be expected from the team who have won 10 games out of 10, scoring 46 goals.
So, here is our predicted line-up for the FA Youth Cup third round.
READ: Man Utd under-18s top scorers and assists in 2024/25, all results
Manchester United’s FA Youth Cup XI could be very strong
So with the historic FA Youth Cup a competition the U18s will take very seriously, it is likely that Lawrence is handed a strong group to select from including some returning stars from the U21s who are still eligible.
Here is how we predict the Red Devils to line-up.
Cameron Byrne-Hughes
In goal, it could be either Cameron Byrne-Hughes or William Murdock who start, but based on recent selection, we reckon Byrne-Hughes has the edge.
Jaydan Kamason
At right-back, Jaydan Kamason has been improving quite rapidly this season, with his goalscoring outing against Leeds in the PL Cup being the pick of the bunch.
Reece Munro
Often donning the captain’s armband for the U18s, Reece Munro should be a relatively safe bet to start in the third-round fixture for United.
Godwill Kukonki
Upon the arrival of Amorim, Godwill Kukonki was immediately a benefactor. The 16-year-old was spotted in first-team training on multiple occasions but should be back with the U18s here.
Harry Amass
While Harry Amass is no longer a U18 regular, the 17-year-old has been brought in for the odd big game and after being left out for United’s U21s 5-1 win over Southampton, we imagine he is in the running to feature here.
Jacob Devaney
In the midfield, Jacob Devaney has been playing at a strong level for both the U18 and U21 sides over the past few months, but for the FA Youth Cup, we would expect him to start.
Tyler Fletcher
Tyler Fletcher has recently been featuring for the U21s, including his goal last weekend which came before Amorim arrived pitchside. However, we predict that Fletcher will be in the U18 side for the FA Youth Cup.
Bendito Mantato
Arguably the most dangerous individual at the disposal of Lawrence is right-winger and sometimes left-back Bendito Mantato. Without dominating in terms of goals or assists just yet, Mantato terrorises his full-back and is often the best player on the pitch.
Amir Ibragimov
This season so far has seen Amir Ibragimov as the standout performer for the U18s. The 16-year-old Ibragimov is living up to the hype, with six goals and six assists across U18 and U21 football, a sure starter in this one.
James Scanlon
On the left for United is the red-hot James Scanlon. The full Gibraltar International has 11 goals and four assists for the U18s this season, while also grabbing his first contributions at U19 and U21 level.
READ: Who is Manchester United’s James Scanlon? Age, Position, Height, International caps and more
Chido Obi
The big position of debate will be who starts as the striker. Ethan Wheatley is likely too far gone to play U18 football, while Gabriele Biancheri is on the cusp of moving completely to U21 football but may be called back for this game. However, after a strong start at United, we expect Chido Obi will start.
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