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Erik ten Hag has laid down a problem to Harry Amass to proceed his development within the Manchester United first-team by revealing he has the potential to match what Kobbie Mainoo did final season.
Amass, 17, has been one of many greatest surprises on United’s pre-season tour, beginning all three of the membership’s matches within the US within the absence of each of Ten Hag’s senior left-backs.
Luke Shaw’s involvement with England at EURO 2024 means he has not joined the senior squad on tour whereas Tyrell Malacia’s long-term absence with damage continues to rule him out.
Of their stead, Amass has grabbed the beginning berth at left-back with each fingers.
And whereas the fullback’s defensive capability has been questionable at instances, as could be anticipated for a participant so younger making their first foray into males’s soccer, his approach is unquestioned. He has additionally dealt with the bodily problem nicely, suggesting he is able to contribute far sooner than his age could have instructed.
The damage issues of each Shaw and Malacia, which noticed them dominated out for lengthy intervals of final season, had been believed to have made a brand new left-back a precedence for United this summer time.
Nonetheless, most consideration at fullback has been devoted to reverse flank, with a deal to signal Bayern Munich right-back Noussair Mazraoui more and more near being agreed. Aaron Wan-Bissaka is more likely to head to West Ham to facilitate the transfer.
Mazraoui, 26, is a technically gifted fullback who’s able to taking part in left-back, as he has accomplished many instances for Morocco. He does endure from his personal damage issues, nonetheless, having solely performed round half of Bayern’s leagues video games within the two seasons since he joined from Ajax on a free switch.
There may be, due to this fact, the potential for a left-back to forge a safe spot for themselves in Ten Hag’s squad this season, with appreciable questions marks over the health of different choices.
And the Dutch supervisor has laid down the gauntlet for the 17-year-old Amass to rise to the problem, believing the left-back has the potential to “be at that time” that Mainoo reached final season, when the England worldwide firmly established himself in United’s beginning eleven.
“[Amass] just isn’t that far alongside now [as Mainoo was] at this second… but when we practice him nicely, if we coach him nicely, then in three months it’s doable that he might be at that time,” Ten Hag said.
With the finances at Outdated Trafford significantly stretched this summer time, and reinforcements desperately wanted in central defence and central midfield, Amass could provide an antidote to an ailment at left-back which had a devastating impact final season. He’ll simply must work arduous to take action, as Mainoo did earlier than him.
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