Manchester United have a rich history of creating a pathway for young stars from their academy to the senior team.
Manager Ruben Amorim championed youth brilliantly at Sporting Lisbon, yet he has not fully replicated that bold approach since arriving at Old Trafford.
With a hectic December schedule looming and the FA Cup kicking off early next year, United supporters are eager to see fresh faces from Carrington step into the spotlight.
Here, we highlight five exciting prospects who could earn valuable first-team minutes after the November international break.
1) Chido Obi
Benjamin Sesko suffered a knee injury in the draw with Tottenham Hotspur last weekend.
He had to withdraw from international duty and is expected to be sidelined for a few weeks.
Joshua Zirkzee is the only other recognised striker at United, paving the way for an automatic promotion for Chido Obi.
The 17-year-old rose to the limelight when he was at the Arsenal academy and made his United debut under Amorim in February.
He played eight times for the first team but has been part of the Under-21s this season.
Obi has continued to shine at youth level, and he will be desperate to seize his opening if Amorim turns to him during this injury crisis.
2) Sekou Kone
Sekou Kone was strongly tipped for a full-time senior call-up at the start of the season before a nasty head injury ruled him out for nearly three months.
He has now returned to action, and Amorim will be monitoring his progress closely.
The 19-year-old brings exactly the midfield skillset United lack in the senior squad.
The Mali youth international is known for his sharp defensive instincts.
With Casemiro approaching the twilight of his United career and Manuel Ugarte struggling, Kone looks tailor-made to inherit the club’s number six mantle.
3) Shea Lacey
Lacey has been the most impressive academy star for the club this season.
The 18-year-old has blown away United coaches in first-team training sessions with his maturity.
Though naturally a right winger, Lacey is more than capable of operating as a right-sided number 10.
With Amad Diallo and Bryan Mbeumo both set to miss several weeks due to Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) commitments, a huge opportunity is about to emerge.
Amorim could give Lacey the chance to show why he is rated so highly not only at United but also in the England youth set up.
4) Diego Leon
Leon joined United from Cerro Porteno earlier this summer.
He has been drafted into the youth teams to help him acclimatise to English football.
The 18-year-old is still very raw but scored a sensational solo goal against Tottenham Hotspur Under-21s last month.
He also earned his first senior cap for Paraguay during the October international break.
An injury to Diogo Dalot or Patrick Dorgu could open the doors for the exciting full-back.
5) Jack Fletcher
Jack Fletcher earned a place in the matchday squad against Tottenham after Kobbie Mainoo picked up a knock in training.
The 18-year-old has been a superb addition to the youth team, netting two goals and registering one assist in seven Premier League 2 games this campaign.
Despite playing as a central midfielder for most of his early career, Fletcher has been deployed in the left-back role recently.
He boasts outstanding distribution and a natural instinct for carving out chances from midfield zones.
Fletcher is unquestionably one of the academy talents most likely to break through sooner rather than later.
Stats from Fotmob.com
