18yo United midfield wonderkid has avoided serious injury, could be next in line for senior call-up – report

Ruben Amorim turned to four of Carrington’s finest for Manchester United’s clash with Aston Villa on Sunday. Shea Lacey, Jack Fletcher, Tyler Fredricson, and Bendito Mantato all made the bench, while Lacey and Fletcher came on for their senior debuts in the second half. With Bruno Fernandes and Kobbie Mainoo now injured, and three key performers away on AFCON duty, the head coach might need to turn to the academy once again. One U21 star who has impressed this season is Jacob Devaney. His performances for Travis Binnion‘s side have already made him an early contender for the Reserve Player of the Year award. Jacob Devaney has impressed for U21s Only 18, he has started all games for the U21s this season, and has three goals and one assist to his name. The most impressive aspect is his versatility, with the Republic of Ireland U21 international excelling as a defensive midfielder while also able to play at centre-back and as a right-back. CompetitionAppsGoalsAssistsYellow CardsRed CardsOtherMinutes Premier League 28113––720′ National League Cup4––1––330′ EFL Trophy31–1––270′ Premier League International Cup U2131––––185′ Total18315––1,505′ 25/26 season stats via Transfermarkt  With Manuel Ugarte struggling, Amorim could turn to him next, but he had to go off injured in United’s impressive win over Borussia Dortmund II recently. But as per The Daily Mail, the injury was only an impact knock and the Barnsley-born ace has already resumed training. “Any more injuries, however, and Amorim will have to explore his options with some more extreme than others. Escapes serious injury, in line for senior minutes “There is now an increased focus on academy options with Under-21 captain Jacob Devaney avoiding serious injury when he was forced off on Friday night versus Borussia Dortmund II in the Premier League International Cup. “Devaney, who can play as a holding midfielder or as a centre back, has been one of the most consistent performers for the Under 21s and Confidential understands his injury was an impact one, causing pins and needles in the leg. He is already back in training.” It will be interesting to see if Amorim calls up more academy graduates to the matchday squad in the weeks to come. If that happens, Jacob Devaney certainly has shown he is more than ready to step up. Feature image Lewis Storey via Getty Images The Peoples Person has been one of the world’s leading Man United news sites for over a decade. Follow us on Bluesky: @peoplesperson.bsky.social Ayantan Chowdhury After failing to become a professional footballer, Ayantan switched to the next best thing: writing about the greatest football club in the world. He has extensive sports journalism experience, having worked for over 10 years in the Indian sports media industry, writing for the biggest newspapers and websites. Currently an editor at The Peoples Person. You can follow him on X: @ayantanc_25