Teenage quartet Bjorn Hardley, Mateo Mejia, Noam Emeran and Sam Murray were all given an opportunity to impress in Manchester United first-team training by boss Erik ten Hag.
The Red Devils were back in training on Thursday following their pulsating draw against Leeds in which Ten Hag’s side showed great spirit to fight back from two goals down but could not find a winner as they lost ground in their hopes of entering the title race.
United’s squad has been stretched in recent weeks with Casemiro’s three-match suspension adding to an absentee list in which six players are currently sidelined with injuries. That includes midfield trio Christian Eriksen, Donny van de Beek and Scott McTominay.
Also missing for United on Wednesday night were striker Anthony Martial – who has struggled with fitness issues all season – alongside club record signing Antony, along with long-term absentee Phil Jones.
With numbers diminished in selection and first-team training, Ten Hag handed the four United youth team stars an opportunity to train with the seniors for the first time. As with Alejandro Garnacho and Kobbie Mainoo, they will be hopeful of catching the Dutchman’s eye for potential playing opportunities.
Dutch defender Hardley, 20, joined United from NAC Breda in 2019. The player, who previously trained with the first-team in November 2021, was added to Manchester United's Champions League squad last season but had this season starred for the Under-23 side.
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19-year-old striker Mejia also moved to Manchester in 2019 from Spanish club Real Zaragoza and has caught the eye in the club’s youth teams. Murray, 18, is a highly-rated left-back was included on United’s first team trip to Spain in December, getting the chance to play two 45 minutes against Cadiz and Real Betis - friendly matches staged during the World Cup.
Emeran, 20, is a former France youth international forward who United signed from Amiens in 2019, beating competition from Barcelona, Juventus and Paris Saint-Germain. The striker, who is of Guadeloupean descent through his father, and of Rwandan descent through his mother, has been involved in United’s Under-21 side.
While it is unlikely the quartet will be involved in competitive action for the first team in the coming months, their participation in first-team training and match preparation is likely to provide a great experience for them as they continue their transition into senior football.
United were preparing for their trip to Leeds on Sunday – just four days after their clash at Old Trafford – in the midst of a hectic fixture schedule with a home clash against Leicester in the league to come before action in the EFL Cup final, FA Cup and Europa League.
