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Manchester Evening News
Manchester Evening News
Sport
Samuel Luckhurst

Manchester United squad vs Norwich includes Alejandro Garnacho

Alejandro Garnacho is in contention to make his Manchester United debut against Norwich after being named in their matchday squad.

Garnacho, 17, joined United from Atletico Madrid in the summer of 2020 and has scored 12 goals for the junior teams this season, including five in United Under-18s' run to the FA Youth Cup final.

The Spanish-born forward was included in the Argentina senior squad last month and recently trained with the United first-team for the first time.

READ MORE: Matic announces he is leaving

Garnacho has been added to the United squad to offset the absence of Fred, who sustained an injury in the 1-0 defeat at Everton last week.

The midfielder was forced off midway through the first-half last week and has not recovered in time for Saturday's game.

Luke Shaw could miss the rest of the season after undergoing surgery last week to have bolts removed from the double leg break he sustained against PSV Eindhoven in September 2015. Scott McTominay, Raphael Varane and Edinson Cavani are also still out.

"Five players will still be missing for tomorrow, some of them probably also for the upcoming games," United interim manager Ralf Rangnick said. "Fred and Scott, Raphael Varane will still be missing out, Luke Shaw had his bolts removed from his leg and Edinson Cavani, those are the five that will still be missing.

"As it seems, [Shaw] will be out for at least another four or five weeks, I think for him it will be difficult for him to be available for the remaining seven games."

Nemanja Matic, who announced he will leave United in the summer, and Paul Pogba, also out of contract in June, are set to start in midfield.

Hannibal Mejbri arrives at The Lowry (Eamonn and James Clarke)

Although Erik ten Hag is effectively the United manager-elect, Rangnick was again reluctant to speak about the Ajax coach's merits to manage United.

Ten Hag is believed to have verbally agreed to take over at United but the club is yet to make an official announcement.

"I don't know if it's a done deal and my reply is the same as Erik ten Hag's, my focus is on the game against Norwich, prepare the team on a higher level for the game," Rangnick added.

"Again, it doesn't make sense (to speak about Ten Hag). We all know he's a good manager, he's done a good job at Ajax and former clubs but it doesn't make sense if I tell you what I think of another coach."

Confirmed United squad members

De Gea, Henderson, Heaton, Dalot, Maguire, Lindelof, Jones, Bailly, Telles, Matic, Pogba, Fernandes, Mejbri, Mata, Sancho, Ronaldo, Elanga, Garnacho, Rashford

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