Manchester United fly to Finland for their first pre-season fixture of the summer against Wrexham, but exciting teenager JJ Gabriel won’t be available for selection.
There is no shortage of talent in the Manchester United academy, but few players are attracting the same attention as JJ Gabriel.
The 15-year-old has been tipped to make his first-team debut this season, so United fans are bound to be excited to see him in action during pre-season.
However, Saturday’s friendly match against Wrexham has come too soon for Gabriel, meaning he won’t be involved.
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JJ Gabriel to miss Wrexham clash in Helsinki
Ahead of United’s first pre-season game against Wrexham, we are getting updates on which players have been selected by Michael Carrick for the trip.
The trip to Helsinki is a fantastic opportunity for United fans in Finland to see the team up close.
United are missing many players due to their involvement in the 2026 World Cup, with Lisandro Martinez still competing at the tournament after Argentina reached the final following a 2-1 win over England in the semi-finals.
However, one youth player not in the team is Gabriel, who was given extended leave after a busy 2025/26 campaign, in which he was voted the best player in the Premier League U18s.
Gabriel’s dad, Joe O’Cearuill, took to X explaining why his son wouldn’t have any involvement in the game against Wrexham.
“He has just returned later than the rest had extended leave first session back with group was today but will miss first game.”
That only means United fans must wait longer to get a glimpse of Gabriel playing for the first team.
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What games could JJ Gabriel play in this summer?
In terms of pre-season for the first team, Gabriel will have a chance to play in five matches after United take on Wrexham this weekend.
United face Rosenborg next week before friendly matches against Atletico Madrid, PSG, Leeds, and AC Milan.
Gabriel could feature in any of those matches, and that will give Carrick a chance to see how close the youngster is to making his debut in a competitive game.
United will have more fixtures this season after qualifying for the Champions League, as well as the expectation to go further in the cup competitions than they managed in 2025/26.
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