Manchester United resume club action with an away trip to newly promoted Southampton but two other competitions will begin soon too, opening up playing opportunities for youngsters.
Carabao Cup begins on September 17 with a home game vs Barnsley, with Europa League starting soon after on September 25.
The league remains the bread and butter, however, especially after two losses in the first three games.
Therefore, with injury problems already rearing their ugly head this soon into the season, Erik ten Hag should use the full squad to rotate and give minutes to youngsters as well.
In that vein, here are five prime contenders to feature against Barnsley in the Carabao Cup on September 17-
1- Harry Amass
Harry Amass has been covered, and talked about so extensively that it’s barely believable that he’s yet to make a competitive first-team appearance for Manchester United.
The hope was that the duck would be broken in the Community Shield game when United had zero natural left-backs but Ten Hag clearly thought that was a step too far.
League One opposition should be the perfect time to blood him in, especially as Noussair Mazraoui and Diogo Dalot would need well-deserved rest after a hectic international break.
Luke Shaw should also return, so dividing minutes between the two should put the squad into a nice place while giving Amass his first taste of senior football at an appropriate level. By the end of the season, a new competitor could well emerge for the left-back spot.
2- Ethan Wheatley
Unlike Amass, Wheatley has some senior minutes but he is yet to come off the bench this season for the first-team.
Joshua Zirkzee will have played every game this season, as a starter or a sub, by the time this one rolls around and the club will be cautious with Rasmus Hojlund’s return.
Barnsley provides an ideal opportunity for Wheatley to play 60 minutes or so and get a feel for senior football again after getting a taste of it last season.
A good start can provide United with a genuine third option for the position.
3- Jack Fletcher
Darren Fletcher’s son has started this season at the academy level like a man possessed. Jack Fletcher was recently nominated for an award for his exploits as well.
Therefore, this would be a well-deserved reward for a season that has had a dream start for him.
He has scored thrice and assisted two goals, all the while playing above his age group in the U21s as a 17-year-old. As a left-footed central midfielder, he is also of a unique profile that the senior team doesn’t have at the moment.
A good debut for United could be more than just a ceremonial reward if he doesn’t look out of place in the game.
4- Gabriele Biancheri
This one is probably a long shot but if Ten Hag wants to reward good performances for the academy, then Biancheri stands right alongside Jack Fletcher.
The poacher, already being dubbed “The next Chicharito”, has started in a rich goalscoring vein this season.
He got called up to the U21s this season and he already made in impact, scoring within his first eight minutes of coming on.
He combined that with a similar impact for the Welsh international youth team as his purple patch has seen him score bucketloads.
Wheatley will be the prime contender for first-team minutes and the return of Hojlund will take precedence, but 5-10 minutes off the bench just to reward his form so far this season isn’t out of the question.
5- Jacob Devaney
As the exact profile of defensive midfielder the senior team is screaming out for at the moment, 17-year-old Jacob Devaney has more than just footballing reasons to get on the pitch for this game.
His father, Martin Devaney, is Barnsley’s assistant coach so to see his son get his senior Man United debut would undoubtedly be a special occasion.
Moreover, this debut would be well-deserved, not just a token gesture. Devaney made more appearances for the all-conquering U18s side last season than any other player and has started getting introduced to the U21s.
He has handled that step up really well and with the midfield depth not looking great outside of the first-choice pairing, a few minutes off the bench to reinforce the club’s trust in his abilities are possible.
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