Manchester United manager Ruben Amorim has revealed that youngster Chidozie Obi-Martins did not feature in Tuesday’s meeting with Nottingham Forest because he is set to play in the FA Youth Cup semi-finals. The 17-year-old Danish-Nigerian midfielder has been making waves at Old Trafford, having already made his first-team debut and featuring in several matches for the senior side.
According to Amorim, a decision was made to have Obi-Martins feature in the FA Youth Cup semi-final against Aston Villa, citing the importance of managing the youngster’s minutes and giving him valuable experience in the competition.
“He is going to play because we try to imagine the next game and if you look before he was on the bench and just played against Fulham, but just 10 minutes at the end of the game, and we have to manage the minutes, we have to give the minutes to the kid,” Amorim explained.
Amorim emphasized the significance of the FA Youth Cup competition, not just for Obi-Martins but for the entire academy. “It is really important for our young kids to feel the energy also of the game. It is really important for us, we are trying to win that competition, trying to build something with the youth, and the good thing with the academy players is they have that feeling of winning.”
Obi-Martins joined Manchester United last summer from Arsenal’s academy and has been making rapid progress through the ranks. His first-team debut came as a late substitute in Manchester United’s 1-0 Premier League defeat to Tottenham Hotspur on February 16. He has since featured in three more matches for the senior side, with his most recent appearance coming against Leicester City before the international break.
As Manchester United continues to nurture young talent, Obi-Martins’ involvement in the FA Youth Cup semi-finals highlights the club’s commitment to developing its academy players. With Amorim at the helm, Manchester United fans can expect to see more of Obi-Martins and other talented youngsters in the future.
