United set for anxious wait to see if red-hot sensation can recover in time for FA Youth Cup quarter-final – report

Manchester United’s injury crisis keeps getting worse day by day. Harry Maguire and Luke Shaw both had to be subbed off against Crystal Palace on Sunday, to add to the likes of Matthijs de Ligt, Patrick Dorgu, Mason Mount, and Lisandro Martinez already on the sidelines. On Monday, during the Premier League 2 top-of-the-table clash against Chelsea, Chido Obi suffered a head injury and had to be taken off. While the Dane is yet to make a first-team appearance this season, his importance for both the U21s and U18s cannot be understated. Chido Obi head injury United refrained from loaning him out in January, with the club eyeing four age-group trophies this season. The Red Devils are keen to win the FA Youth Cup again this season, and the 18-year-old already has two goals in as many games in the competition. With concussion protocols set to be strictly followed, United are facing a nervous wait to see if the Denmark U20 international can make it in time for the FA Youth Cup quarter-finals against Sunderland on March 18. The Manchester Evening News have outlined FA’s guidelines when it comes to head injuries and when players can be expected back. Concussion protocols set to be followed “The Premier League and FA have rules on how to deal with head injuries, which outline clear ‘return to play’ guidelines for players who are suspected of having suffered a concussion. Those rules state that no player will be allowed to return to a competitive game for at least six days. “After that, players are allowed to progress by a step every 24 hours. The steps are: No physical activity, light aerobic exercise, sport specific exercise, non-contact training drills, full contact training, and then return to play (after an all-clear from the club’s medical officer). “Obi will be assessed in the coming days, and he may face a nervous wait to see whether he passes the concussion protocols in time to feature in the Youth Cup quarter-finals at Old Trafford.” Chido Obi will have been disappointed not to be involved with the first team this season after a breakthrough campaign last time out. Chido Obi is key to United’s hopes of lifting the FA Youth Cup again But the club coaches are delighted with his progress, and if he helps the U21s clinch the PL2 and the U18s the FA Youth Cup, he can certainly count this season as a success. Who knows? The club might change their mind and opt against loaning him out in the summer. Feature image Richard Heathcote 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