“Since Chido-Obi is ineligible to start against Real Sociedad, I’ve decided to call this academy striker to the traveling squad and he will surely start upfront because he has the needed qualities there”: Manchester United’s coach Ruben Amorim has confirmed academy striker will start ahead of Rasmus Hojlund against Real Sociedad

Manchester United are inching closer to their season-defining game when they travel to Real Sociedad in hopes of entering the Champions League next season through the “back door”.

The Europa League is Man Utd’s only chance at silverware this season, even though Ruben Amorim doesn’t look too fussed about it as it stands.

Amorim could have handed Chido Obi a debut start here after his exploits vs Fulham but he is ineligible to play in Europe this season.

However, that doesn’t mean Amorim can’t still hand a debut against Sociedad to one youngster who has long been tipped to make a breakthrough at Man Utd.

Ruben Amorim can create a star vs Real Sociedad

With Chido Obi ineligible to play in Europe and Ayden Heaven pretty much a known quantity because he was being paraded around as a first-team signing, there isn’t much unknown about the Man Utd squad.

However, Amorim has quickly injected some excitement into the game after calling up five youngsters to Man Utd training.

In the absence of Harry Maguire and Manuel Ugarte, with Chido Obi also ineligible, Amorim has the opportunity to take one of those youngsters and trust him with senior minutes.

He has been knocking on the door for a long time, but yet to break through, and with Amorim increasingly looking like he’s open for new fresh legs, his time could come now.

That player is dynamic young left-back Harry Amass, traveling with the team to Sociedad.

Amass has long been tipped to break through but lack of physicality held him back, but he’s consistently impressed in the youth ranks instead of sulking and disrupting.

More importantly, this young and dynamic full-back addresses Amorim’s biggest issue in the current squad – a lack of creativity from wing-backs.

Ruben Amorim can fix big Man Utd issue with brave call

Amorim’s ideal team has most of the creativity coming from bombing wing-backs who create overloads in the final third, like Geovany Quenda at Sporting.

It’s why traditional fullbacks Diogo Dalot and Noussair Mazraoui have struggled and exactly why raw, unadulterated dynamism of youthful fullbacks can fix that issue.

Managers are often reticent about playing youngsters in a fullback position because it’s so tactically demanding in both phases.

Amorim’s wing-backs have more security with the back-three so they can focus more on what they do best – get in the final third and create havoc!

The cards are aligning for Amass because, alongside Heaven, he’s the only youngster in the Man Utd travelling squad for Sociedad, and the main thing holding him back, his defensive nous, can be hidden in Amorim’s system.

Diogo Dalot has had to accommodate thanklessly at left wing-back for far too long without competition.

Patrick Dorgu and Amass can help him permanently shift to the right and rival Mazraoui instead, as was intended.