Man Utd's talented youngster Shea Lacey was absent from the U21 squad to face Rochdale on Tuesday night.
Shea Lacey started against Tottenham last weekend.(Image: 2025 Manchester United FC)
View Image
Manchester United youngster Shea Lacey has trained this week, despite suffering a knock last weekend.
Lacey was a notable absentee from the Under-21 squad to face Rochdale on Tuesday night.
The 18-year-old received treatment for a shoulder injury during the U21s' win against Tottenham last Saturday. He was replaced in the 65th minute and was spotted holding ice to the area while on the bench.
However, Lacey is understood to be fine after the knock and has trained normally this week. The Liverpool-born lad is seen as a high-potential talent and United did not risk him to face Rochdale as a precaution.
Lacey is pushing to make a first-team debut this season. The youngster has long been considered one of the best talents in the academy and has starred for the U21s during this campaign.
Earlier this month, Lacey was drafted into England senior training by Thomas Tuchel to supplement the session. He was named in England's Under-20 squad for the October international break and was given the opportunity to train with the Three Lions' first-team at St. George's Park.
The Manchester Evening News recently spoke to U21 boss Travis Binnion about Lacey, and he said: "Listen, everybody in the world knows about Shea Lacey. So he needs a little bit of fortune, he needs to be patient with himself and everybody else needs to be really patient with him.
"He is in the same sort of area as Chido because of time lost. Different to Chido, Chido is fast progression. Because of time lost with Shea, he still has lots to come tactically, physically and mentally.
"Everybody can see - you have to be blind not to see - the talent he's got. He's got lots to do in his game and he knows. We're still managing him physically because if he can stay on the pitch and can train every day, I think everyone thinks he could be a top, top player."
United consider Lacey as a first-team prospect and they were protective of his minutes last season, wanting to ensure that the youngster did not suffer further small injury problems.
Lacey has generated immense interest in the last few years because followers of the academy are excited about his potential.
There have been comparisons made between Lacey and Phil Foden and, just like the Manchester City star, Lacey's long-term future could be as an attacking midfielder.
The youngster was born in Merseyside and comes from a family of Liverpool fans, but he's a United supporter and grew up idolising multi-Ballon d'Or winner Lionel Messi.
---
Here at The Manchester Evening News, we are dedicated to bringing you the best Manchester United coverage and analysis.
Make sure you don't miss out on the latest United news by joining our free WhatsApp group. You can get all the breaking news and best analysis sent straight to your phone by clicking here to subscribe.
You can also subscribe to our free newsletter service. Click here to be sent all the day's biggest stories.
And, finally, if you would rather listen to our expert analysis then make sure to check out our Manchester is Red podcast. Our shows are available on all podcast platforms, including Spotify and Apple Podcasts, and you can also watch along on YouTube.