**Michael Carrick** offered brief comment on the future of a 15-year-old in the headlines.
**JJ Gabriel** has been touted as a top talent from the **Manchester United** academy, earning minutes against **Atletico Madrid** in the preseason tour. He was reportedly set to make his competitive debut for the _Red Devils_ against **Brighton** in the **Carabao Cup** in midweek, but those plans went awry.
·**‘You've got to be careful and be sensible’**
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It is understood that Gabriel was not present for training with the first team at the end of last week as his family consider whether his future is best placed at Carrington. He was not put on the A-List squad submitted for **Champions League** football, so minutes against **Sabah** were not on the cards, and the snub may have been the final straw for the player’s entourage to contemplate departing **Old Trafford**.
Since then, Gabriel and his family have gone to Barcelona to explore possibilities, while the **BBC** have reported interest from **Paris Saint-Germain**, **Bayern Munich** and **Real Madrid** in the player.
The talent of the forward is undeniable, having won the **Premier League** Under-18 Player of the Year award at the tender age of 14, but there are many factors that affect a player’s progress in the game.
On Carrick’s part, he does not want his own words to impact the discourse about a teenager who still has plenty of possible development left to do, so he was watchful with his comments about Gabriel.
_“I think he's a young boy, JJ, and I think it's important that we certainly don't play anything out here._
_“I think the exposure and the scrutiny and everything, you've got to be careful and be sensible and think of him as much as anything. So, the situation will work itself out, whatever way it's going to work itself out. Making sure he's okay is the important thing.”_