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Manchester United are all set to begin their Europa League campaign with a home tie against Eredivisie outfit FC Twente on Wednesday.
Erik ten Hag knows all about the Dutch club, having extensively played there and he even began his managerial career at the club.
While professing his love, he must be aware of the need to pick up a win after a disappointing league draw at weekend left his side 11th in the table.
He is expected to rotate his team after complaining of the workload put on the players and a few new faces are likely to be included in the matchday squad.
New faces added to the squad
Seven academy graduates have been added to United’s Europa League squad via the B list as per the club website and that includes four stars who have starred in the U21 team’s EFL Trophy campaign this season.
B list includes “club-trained players born on or after 1 January 2003, who have been with their employers for an uninterrupted period of a minimum of two years.”
Despite already being first team stars, both Kobbie Mainoo and Alejandro Garnacho have been included due to their age while Toby Collyer’s name has also been added with Ten Hag expected to utilise him quite a lot this campaign.
Dan Gore, who made his debut last season, features after marking his return from injury against Doncaster Rovers, as does Ethan Wheatley, with goals a particular concern for Ten Hag at the moment.
Louis Jackson, who scored a dramatic late equaliser on Tuesday, finds a place, as does Sam Mather who opened the scoring against the team from League Two.
EFL Trophy stars added
Both were a part of Ten Hag’s pre-season squad and with a long campaign on the cards, more youngsters are likely to get similar call-ups in the future.
The Red Devils can add an unlimited number of players via the B list as long as the paperwork is completed no later than midnight (CET) on the day before a game.
The likes of Ethan Ennis and Harry Amass are also knocking on the doors of the first team and it is only a matter of time before we see them in action as well.
And while we might not see all of the aforementioned players get a chance on Wednesday, the experience gained will be invaluable and should spur them on to work even harder to try and get on the pitch in the future.
UEFA B-LIST PLAYERS: Louis Jackson, Toby Collyer, Dan Gore, Kobbie Mainoo, Sam Mather, Alejandro Garnacho, Ethan Wheatley
Feature image Charles McQuillan via Getty Images
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