The international breaks are over, the festive fixture list (and AFCON) is inching closer, and that means Ruben Amorim will start dipping into the academy, where it’s a race to debut between two players.
Ruben Amorim has been clear in recent weeks that he intends to start including academy prospects in the first-team picture more.
As the fixture list becomes busier and three players – Amad, Noussair Mazraoui, and Bryan Mbeumo – leave for AFCON, spots will open up for academy players.
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After Amorim’s latest training decision, it seems like the race to become this season’s first academy debutant is down to two players.
Jack Fletcher, Shea Lacey of Manchester United in action during a first team training session at Carrington Training Ground on November 21, 2025
Photo by Ash Donelon/Manchester United via Getty Images
Ruben Amorim calls up Shea Lacey and Jack Fletcher
Despite a lack of games not giving Amorim the opportunity to rotate, the Man Utd manager has been careful to keep his best prospects in and around the first-team setup.
Among those players, Shea Lacey and Jack Fletcher have been ever-present in first-team training, and ahead of the game against Everton, both were called up by Amorim again.
Lacey has done extremely well to come back from injuries to retain his status as a highly-rated prospect, while Fletcher recently made the first-team squad in Kobbie Mainoo’s absence.
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Both Lacey and Fletcher are slick, left-footed attacking players at a time when Amorim will need to start thinking about replacing Amad and Mbeumo for a month.
Considering there are no injury worries in the first-team group, no youngsters were needed to make up the numbers.
Therefore, Lacey and Fletcher’s presence in first-team training is a sign that they have separated themselves from the crop.
From now on, the race to become this season’s first academy debutant is between the two left-footed maestros.
Both Lacey and Fletcher are deserving candidates
Amorim has repeatedly said that the academy prospects will get their time in the sun, but it won’t be a token debut. It will be fully earned.
Both Lacey and Fletcher live up to that demand because they have shown immense growth in their game and garnered plaudits from coaches at Old Trafford.
Lacey has shone against senior pros, while Fletcher has played multiple positions when challenged to grow and develop quickly.
Most importantly, both Amad and Mbeumo are left-footed attackers, so Fletcher and Lacey are stylistically the best replacements for the departing duo.
Making them a part of the first-team setup now, when Mbeumo and Amad are present, is a shrewd move that will make their introduction to the first XI easier.
The learning curve will be smoother as they get mentored by the senior players, before deputising for them when AFCON begins.
United will lose two brilliant attacking players to the mid-season tournament, but they might end up with four brilliant attacking players by the time it ends.
Lacey and Fletcher are both deserving of the title of becoming this year’s first academy debutant.