Man Utd make decision over Chido Obi-Martin after his spell in first team | Football

Manchester United have decided to drop Chido Obi-Martin back down to the U18s team for tonight’s FA Youth Cup semi-final against Aston Villa.

Obi-Martin broke into Ruben Amorim’s first-team squad for the Premier League clash at Tottenham in February, coming off the bench late-on.

He has made three top-flight appearances to date – also featuring in matches against Everton and Leicester City – while he played in the FA Cup fifth-round showdown with Fulham in March too.

It was thought that the 17-year-old forward’s days in United’s U18s team were over, especially after Obi-Martin missed the FA Youth Cup quarter-final triumph over Arsenal due to his first-team commitments.

But Obi-Martin will play for United U18s tonight (Monday, March 31) in a 7pm kick-off against Aston Villa in the semi-finals of the FA Youth Cup.

The Denmark youth international remarkably scored seven goals across the first three rounds, which included a hat-trick against Chelsea U18s.

United have decided to bring him back into the U18s fold because the club are determined to land their first FA Youth Cup trophy since 2022.

Playing for the U18s tonight means Obi-Martin is unlikely to feature in United’s Premier League away clash against Nottingham Forest.

The Red Devils face Forest at the City Ground on Tuesday night in their first match back after the recent international break.

‘He is going to play today [for the U18s],’ United head coach Amorim confirmed in his press conference on Monday.

‘We are trying to win that competition, trying to build something with the youth. 

‘So we are trying to to manage everything and Chido needs to play also, so we are helping the team and the player.’

Meanwhile, the Daily Mail reports that fellow United teenager Harry Amass is set to miss tonight’s FA Youth Cup semi-final at Villa Park.

That’s because Amass could feature in United’s first team against Nottingham Forest on Tuesday, unlike Obi-Martin.

Amass made his United debut in the 3-0 win over Leicester on March 16, the club’s last fixture before the international break, on his 18th birthday.

Speaking after the match, Amorim said: ‘First of all, it’s his birthday. So he’s [had] a special day.

‘They have to understand that they (academy players) are so lucky to play for Manchester United and we cannot forget that and for me it’s hard.

‘But at the same moment I have so much fun to put young kids [in] to play and to win matches. That is the best feeling.’

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