Goalkeeper Dermot Mee has been included in Manchester United’s senior squad for the first time ahead of Saturday’s Premier League meeting with Everton at Old Trafford.
One man’s misery is often another’s fortune, as they say.
And, during a season interrupted by a series of never-ending injuries, a number of young players have been handed opportunities to stake their claim.
Willy Kambwala, for instance, was promoted to the first-team picture following injuries to the likes of Lisandro Martinez and Raphael Varane. Omari Forson was handed a maiden start against Fulham in February, too, while Hannibal Mejbri opened his Manchester United account with a screamer in the 3-1 defeat by Brighton and Hove Albion.
Injury-hit Manchester United host Everton
Dermot Mee, barring a remarkable series of events, is unlikely to follow Kambwala and co in making his Red Devils debut any time soon. But, with a number of key players still unavailable and places on the bench to be filled, the Northern Ireland Under-21 international finds himself in the matchday squad for the very first time as Erik ten Hag’s side welcome Everton to Old Trafford.
Birmingham-born Mee joined the club from Fulham back in 2019. He has featured ten times for the club’s Under-21 side in Premier League 2 since then.
Mee, who has been handed the number 45 shirt, is also one of two goalkeepers on Ten Hag’s bench for the visit of Everton, alongside Altay Bayindir. The presence of not one but two shot-stoppers on the sidelines itself is a reflection of the injury issues United continue to battle with, Kambwala, Tobias Collyer and Habeen Ogunneye also among the substitutes.
Dermot Mee promoted to first-team squad
“It tells us that we are going in the right direction,” Ten Hag told The Guardian on Friday of his 61 per cent win ratio, still the best of any Man United manager.
“So imagine we had many more players available and not setbacks and injuries. (We( could easily have 75 wins. And that tells the bright future of this team.
“When you compare it with other managers, other teams, or previous managers in this big club, you can see there is a bright future. It is a good balance in ages in this squad. Young players, middle-aged players.
“Imagine when they are available. (We) could easily have won, from 100 games, 75. It is a big difference.”
After successive top-flight defeats – stunned at home by Fulham and gummed down by Man City last time out – Manchester United need a win over relegation-threatened Everton in order to boost their admittedly slim hopes of securing a Champions League spot for Ineos’ first season in charge.
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