**Teenage centre-back Godwill Kukonki was named on the bench versus Arsenal by Manchester United head coach Ruben Amorim.**
The 16-year-old is clearly highly rated by his manager, having also taken part in the Portuguese’s first training session at Carrington last month.
So what do fans need to know about Kukonki and why is he being tipped for great things?
Despite his tender years, Kukonki stands at 6f 5 tall so there is no concern about his ability to cope with the physical demands of senior football.
Of course, his size is not the only reason Amorim has taken a liking to the defender; his technical ability is also regarded to be far superior to those of a similar age.
2) Kukonki is capable of playing in a back three
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Another asset that the teenager possesses is his ability to play either as a centre-half or left-back. He is left-footed and he is comfortable playing in both positions.
With Amorim favouring a 3-4-3 formation, Kukonki is ideally suited to play as the left-sided centre-back in a back three.
3) Shaw’s injury could hand the United starlet his chance to shine
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The main reason why Kukonki was included in the matchday squad for the Arsenal match on Wednesday night was due to the fact that Luke Shaw has suffered yet another fitness setback.
In the build-up to the Gunners fixture, Shaw confirmed that he is injured again. Amorim has been using the 29-year-old as an auxiliary left-sided centre-half in his appearances off the bench so far.
With Lisandro Martinez [**suspended for the trip to the Emirates**](https://manunews.com/blog/manchester-united-team-news-betting-odds-where-to-watch-vs-arsenal/), Shaw may have been asked to start if he hadn’t been ruled out of the match himself. His injury, though, has given an opportunity to Kukonki.
The lack of options in the middle of the defence could mean that the teenager will make his senior debut over the coming weeks.
[**Find out who is in Manchester United’s first-team squad for the 2024/2025 season here**](https://manunews.com/blog/manchester-united-first-team-squad-2024-25/)