Manchester United starlet Facundo Pellistri has made a strong case for himself in five substitute appearances this season, most recently against Real Betis in the Europa League.
The 21-year-old was signed in 2020 but was allowed to make his senior debut for the Red Devils in January 2023 against Charlton Athletic.
He has been a regular for the Uruguay national team, featuring three times for his country in the Qatar World Cup. However, he had to wait for a long time to make his United bow.
Erik ten Hag has handed five opportunities to Pellistri and the youngster has been impressive most of the time.
He provided a crafty assist to Marcus Rashford, just five minutes into his debut which made the fans talk about him.
He was lively in his 20-minute cameos against Nottingham Forest and Reading.
Pellistri prefers to play short passes to break through the defence and create opportunities for his teammates.
He came off the bench against Real Betis and made an immediate impact by playing a crucial role in Wout Weghorst’s goal.
The Uruguayan displayed superb skills and bursts of pace to go outside the two defenders who were charging towards him.
He went close to the byline and drilled a cross into the six-yard box, which was met by Scott McTominay.
The midfielder’s shot was saved by the goalkeeper but the rebound fell kindly for Weghorst who found the back of the net for the first time at Old Trafford.
Pellistri prominently plays on the right wing, where Ten Hag has deployed Antony, Bruno Fernandes and Jadon Sancho this season. The youngster is way down the pecking order.
However, Pellistri offers different attributes to all the options. He does not only rely on turning inside like Antony does most of the time.
He can stretch the opponents by drawing defenders towards him, making space at the centre of the pitch.
Man United face Southampton and Real Betis in the next five days. Pellistri may not start either game, but Ten Hag should allow him to get a few minutes off the bench in both fixtures.
