Ruben Amorim is set to face a squad dilemma in the weeks ahead with AFCON, but a forgotten wonderkid has been spotted back in first-team training to increase his options.
Amad, Noussair Mazraoui, and Bryan Mbeumo’s availability is dominating discussions ahead of Man Utd hosting Bournemouth at Old Trafford.
Ruben Amorim has remained tight-lipped about it, trying to keep Bournemouth guessing about the status of some of the most important players in the team.
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In the meantime, he will be encouraged by the return of a forgotten Man Utd wonderkid in first-team training as the fixture list gets busier.
Tyler Fredricson is back from the cold
For Tyler Fredricson, this season has been as big a low point as last season was a high one.
From breaking through out of nowhere and becoming a genuine first-team option, to going missing this season after a poor performance against Grimsby, the uncertainty of football has hit him hard.
Fredricson became a forgotten entity this season, not even making the bench for the last month or two, and with zero appearances for the U21s either.
It was widely believed that this was injury-related, although no confirmation came from United, but it looks like that was the case.
That is because Fredricson has been spotted back in first-team training in the video posted by the club ahead of the Bournemouth game.
Fredricson could be seen participating in the rondos alongside the likes of Jack Fletcher and Shea Lacey, who are first-team training fixtures at this point.
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The youngster reported for gym work in early December/late November, but this is his return to training on the grass, which hints that a return to playing is close.
With United playing three games in the next ten days, it could give Fredricson a chance to get some minutes off the bench.
Fredricson needs to kick on now
This season has been bad for Fredricson because instead of building on his breakout, he has had to take several steps back.
All the momentum he came with into the season has disappeared due to poor performances for the senior team and the U21s.
Encouragingly, his return is perfectly timed because Harry Maguire and Matthijs de Ligt continue to remain absent, while the fixture list is busy.
It’s unlikely that he makes the bench for the game against Bournemouth, but some minutes with the U21s could see him perfectly set up for a squad place against Villa and then Newcastle.
The club can then assess if he can help the first team in the second half of the season, or if he will be better suited to account for these lost months by playing regular first-team football on loan.
Either way, returning to first-team training is a brilliant and necessary first step for one of the biggest success stories of last season.
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