Shola Shoretire wasn't included in Manchester United's U21 side that faced Man City on Saturday due to his first-team commitments this week.
The 18-year-old was part of the United first-team squad that faced Real Sociedad in the Europa League on Thursday night and was not rushed back into action for the derby encounter at Leigh Sports Village.
Shoretire was an unused substitute as United won 1-0 in San Sebastian, with fellow academy graduate Alejandro Garnacho scoring his first competitive goal for the club.
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United only returned from Spain at 6pm GMT on Friday night, but the exclusion of Shoretire suggests he will be back involved with the first team when they travel to face Aston Villa on Sunday afternoon.
Erik ten Hag could still be without forwards Jadon Sancho, Antony and Anthony Martial when his side makes the trip to Villa Park. Sancho missed the wins over Real Sociedad and West Ham through illness, while Antony was absent due to a leg injury.
Martial resumed training this week but has been sidelined for the last four weeks with a back problem, and the Frenchman has only played in four of United's 18 games.
Zidane Iqbal, who was also an unused substitute during the win over Sociedad, did start for United U21s vs City, further fuelling speculation that Shoretire could be part of the matchday squad.
Shoretire has made five senior appearances for United since his debut in February 2021 but is yet to make a competitive appearance under Ten Hag.
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