Manchester United's prospect Bendito Mantato is poised to miss the rest of the season due to an ankle injury he sustained while playing for the Red Devils' Under-21 side
LONDON, ENGLAND - FEBRUARY 28: Bendito Mantato of Manchester United during the FA Youth Cup Quarter Final match between Arsenal U18 and Manchester United U18 at Emirates Stadium on February 28, 2025 in London, England. (Photo by Manchester United/Manchester United via Getty Images)
Manchester United prospect Bendito Mantato has suffered a season-ending injury(Image: Manchester United/Manchester United via Getty Images)
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Manchester United's young talent, Bendito Mantato, is expected to sit out the remainder of the season due to an ankle injury.
Mantato, 18, sustained the injury after coming on as a substitute for the Under-21s against Chelsea at the beginning of the month. And The Manchester Evening News report that the talented teenager is currently wearing a protective boot and his season is effectively over.
Mantato featured in the starting line-up against Peterborough, Derby County and Oxford United in the early stages of the competition, but was relegated to the stands when Manchester United's U18s triumphed over Sunderland in the quarter-finals.
The U18s are set to face Crystal Palace in the Youth Cup semi-finals next up. Should United's crop of promising youngsters advance, they could meet Manchester City in a mini-Manchester derby final at The Etihad, albeit without Mantato.
Mantato is among the most promising prospects in United's academy. He initially played as a left-back in academy matches, but gradually transitioned to primarily playing on the right wing, and his style of play has already drawn comparisons with Bukayo Saka, who also began his career as a defender.
Bendito Mantato looks on
The talented teenager has already been likened to Bukayo Saka(Image: Simon Holmes - The FA, The FA via Getty Images)
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Last season, Ruben Amorim named Mantato in the senior matchday squad for both the home and away fixtures of the Europa League semi-finals against Athletic Bilbao. Mantato was then selected for the United States tour party, and made his first-team bow against Wolves in December.
The academy product will aim to recover from injury in time to feature in this summer's pre-season tour squad, which will include more youngsters than normal with the World Cup taking place.
Mantato has turned out for England's Under-16, Under-17 and Under-18 sides during his career.
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