The Manchester United training ground at Carrington has been unusually busy during this international break.
Established internationals, David De Gea, Marcus Rashford and Jadon Sancho, who boast 114 caps between them, were not selected by their national teams, and instead have had to report for training.
In their place Anthony Elanga, who is still a teenager until his birthday next month, has been representing United on the international stage.
He made his debut for Sweden last Thursday when he came on as a substitute for the final five minutes of their 1-0 win over the Czech Republic in Solna.
Five days later Elanga won his second cap on Tuesday night coming on as a substitute in the 66th minute against Poland, but was unable to prevent Sweden losing 2-0 in Chorzow to miss out on a place in this year’s World Cup finals.
“Elanga is a great talent, we are proud and happy that he comes from Sweden. That he can represent Sweden now makes it even bigger,” the former United player and Swedish legend Zlatan Ibrahimovic has said.
“He has all the future ahead of him, and if he continues just as he has done, it looks positive. It's just fighting, never being content, striving for more. How much he can develop depends on him.”
Becoming a full international has capped off an impressive breakthrough season for Elanga in which he been transformed from a promising youngster on the fringes of the United squad to a player trusted to start some of their biggest games.
Elanga made his first team debut last season under Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, playing twice in May 2021, as a substitute in a loss to Leicester City before starting his first ever game, and scoring in a 2-1 win at Wolves on the final day of the season.
But any momentum quickly evaporated as Solskjaer ignored him for Premier League or Champions League duty this season, and instead gave him just 17 minutes of action in the Carabao Cup, before he was sacked in November.
Four months into the season Elanga had become largely forgotten and was being forced to wait for his chance behind new signing Jadon Sancho, Marcus Rashford, Mason Greenwood and Anthony Martial.
But the arrival of United’s new interim boss Ralf Rangnick changed everything. After impressing the German in his very first training session, he was given his first Premier League action of the season as a substitute in Rangnick’s first game, a 1-0 win over Crystal Palace in December.
Since then he has amassed a total of 18 appearances, and three goals, against Brentford, Leeds United, and Atletico Madrid, as he proven he has both the temperament and ability to succeed at Old Trafford.
His finest moment came in the first leg of United’s Champions League round of sixteen tie against Atletico Madrid, when he came on as a second half substitute for the final 15 minutes and promptly scored a crucial equaliser.
He was trusted to start the second leg against the Spanish champions at Old Trafford, and came within inches of being the hero again when his goal bound shot struck the Atletico goalkeeper Jan Oblak in the face when the score was still goalless in the first half, before United went on to lose 1-0.
As more established members of the current United squad have played without purpose or drive, Elanga has brought an energy and a directness to the side’s performances in recent months.
Elanga is wonderfully unburdened with doubt, and has used his pace and trickery to great effect on the right side of United’s attack.
The only blemish is he has been caught out defensively, most notably when he allowed Renan Lodi the space to head Atletico’s winner in the Champions League. But he is young and with patience will learn that part of the game.
The Swede is just starting his career, but Rangnick has been mightily impressed, and will brief United’s new incoming manager that he will be an valuable asset to him over the coming seasons.
