The U18s take on Sunderland this evening.
Manchester United Under-18s take on Sunderland in the FA Youth Cup quarter-finals tonight.
United entered the competition in the third round, beating Peterborough in their opening game at Old Trafford in December. and overcame Derby County in the next round before beating Oxford United on the road to earn a spot in the quarter-finals of the Youth Cup.
Darren Fletcher, manager of the U18s, has the talent at his disposal to lift the trophy, with the likes of JJ Gabriel, Kai Rooney, Louie Bradbury and Yuel Helafu all ready to contribute.
Fletcher will be able to call upon academy players who were under the age of 18 at midnight before the end of August, which gives United added strength.
Bendito Mantato, Godwill Kukonki, Chido Obi and Jim Thwaites are just some of the players who represent the Under-21s but are eligible to play in the Youth Cup. However, it remains to be seen whether Obi will be involved after suffering a head injury against Chelsea at the start of the month.
Follow below for live updates from Old Trafford.
Interview with Stephen Torpey
When Sir Jim Ratcliffe singled out the Manchester United academy as having "slipped" with some of his customary direct feedback in October, he highlighted the appointment of Stephen Torpey as evidence of change.
Torpey is the latest Old Trafford recruit from the Manchester City blueprint Ratcliffe so admires, and that introduction from the United co-owner was pretty clear.
“The academy has really slipped at Manchester United," Ratcliffe said. "You need the academy to be producing talent all the time. It helps you financially. That’s not a light switch. You don’t solve the academy problem overnight. It takes time.”
United's first team will play just 40 games this season. An unusually sparse schedule at first team level has led to heightened interest in the club's academy, as has the emergence of young talents like JJ Gabriel.
Torpey wants to develop some of the country's best young players at Carrington. Gabriel, who has scored 23 goals in 25 appearances for the U18s this season, fits that billing.
Welcome
Hello and welcome to tonight's FA Youth Cup quarter-final live blog from Old Trafford.
The U18s will continue their Youth Cup campaign against Sunderland, and a decent crowd will likely attend to see a talented squad managed by Darren Fletcher in action.
Join us for build-up, updates throughout the game and reaction.
(Image: 2026 Allstar)