Former Manchester United defender Phil Jones, who now works in the club’s academy, claims Ruben Amorim has an academy “animal” he can call upon.
United are in the midst of an injury crisis, with Amad Diallo’s ankle problem which looks set to keep him out of the season a particularly crushing blow given his positive impact this season.
His fellow forwards at Old Trafford have failed to meet the same standard, and Jones believes Amorim has options in the academy.
“Man United are in a really difficult moment, I think it’s been a progression of the last four or five years to get to where we are,” Jones said on the Footy Accumulators No Tippy Tappy Football podcast.
“It’s sad to see. It’s difficult to see where we can improve it, where it can get better. It’s really difficult to talk about because I’m so fond of the club, I love the club, I love the people there, love the players, it’s really sad to see at the minute.
“I think what I would say is working in and around the academy for the last two years, helping and watching those young players develop, United have some really good and talented young players coming through.”
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Jones says he was convinced while playing with Amad that the winger would “play a huge part” this season, and also claims that Chido Obi-Martin – signed from the Arsenal academy in the summer – is an “animal” who can step up in Amad’s absence.
He added: “The squad had a lot of injuries against Tottenham and the bench was full of kids, but there were some talented players on that bench. People might not know a lot about them now but they certainly will in the next few years.
“I think you look at Kobbie Mainoo, top player, you look at Chido who we’ve just signed from Arsenal, who is an animal, I think he’s just turned 17, listen, he’s going to have a great career, albeit with the right mentality but I think he does.
“You look at Amad [Diallo] who had a couple of really good loans, and I remember watching him winning it against Liverpool in extra time last season, and I had said at that time he’d play a huge part in the next season.
“I played with Amad for a year or two and you could see then that the quality he had with manipulating the ball, committing players, one-vs-one situations, he was really good, really strong and a good kid as well.
“I think they’ve got a good crop of young players who are ready to step in be integrated into the first team if and when called upon.”
