It appears Alejandro Gernacho is not the only Mancheter United's youngster that has been denied the privilege of playing in the upcoming Under-20 World Cup tournament.
Finally, the final stretch of the season has arrived, giving Manchester United the opportunity to add to their trophy collection and solidify their position among the top four in the Premier League.
Following their disappointing draw with Tottenham Hotspur, the Red Devils are currently fourth in the league standings, two points behind third-placed Newcastle and six ahead of both fifth-placed Spurs and their upcoming opponents, Aston Villa.
One of the most crucial attacking weapons in the Dutchman's arsenal is the academy graduate who recently signed a new deal and is getting close to making a comeback to first team action.
Recent defeats when the team blew a two-goal lead (Sevilla, Spurs) have largely been attributed to the manager's poor substitutions.
The 20-time English league champions must compete in the FA Cup final and have a chance to prevent Manchester City from winning the notorious Treble in addition to the race for Champions League qualification.
It is understandable why manager Erik ten Hag has been so adamant about keeping Alejandro Garnacho on the team for the upcoming U-20 World Cup in Argentina.
It's not a criticism of the former Ajax coach because the manager wants to keep him for the last game of the season because players like Wout Weghorst, Fred, Anthony Martial, and Anthony Elanga don't have the same level of fearlessness.
Alejandro Garnacho is not the only player nominated to the U-20 World Cup roster. Zidane Iqbal, a member of the United academy, has been called up by Iraq for the competition.
The 20-year-old was expected to be used by Ten Hag over the course of the season after he stood out during the preseason and was turned down for a loan out in January.
Iqbal has been chosen in the matchday squad a total of 17 times, but Ten Hag has sadly not given him a single minute of action thus far this season.
Despite Iqbal's lack of playing time for United and his desire to compete, the Dutch manager will not permit him to take part, according to Iraqi journalist Ali Nouri.
“The Iraqi Football Association is still awaiting Manchester United’s response to allow Zidane Iqbal to be with the youth team at the World Cup finals in Argentina next month.
“Coach Ten Hag refused the player’s presence in the World Cup, despite the player’s desire to participate in the tournament,” the journalist tweeted.
This might be a clue that the manager is waiting for the team to finish in the top four since he does not want to lose squad choices at this important point in the Premier League.
When the deal is done, Ten Hag might even give the Iraqi international some much-needed playing time so that none of his key players get hurt before the FA Cup final.
15 year old Amir Ibragimov trains with first team
Amir Ibragimov, a 15-year-old wonderkid, was photographed practicing with the first squad prior to Manchester United's matchup with Aston Villa.
On Sunday afternoon, the Red Devils welcome Unai Emery's team to Old Trafford in a matchup for Champions League qualifying.
In the Premier League, Erik ten Hag's team is currently in fourth place, but a victory versus the West Midlands team would move them up to third.
Villa, who have a stunning 10-game unbeaten streak, are now in sixth place and are planning a late push to finish in the top four.
Ten Hag has summoned up gifted winger Ibragimov to training in advance of the match.
Ibragimov was born in the Russian republic of Dagestan and moved to England with his family when he was eleven years old.
The adolescent began playing football at the Sheffield United academy but was quickly signed by Manchester United, where he has since captained the under-14 and under-15 teams.
Ibragimov has also played for England's under-15 squad, but he is still qualified to represent Russia at the international level.
His younger brother, Gazi, also participates in United's academy system while his older brother, Ibragim, is a professional mixed martial artist.
Last year, Ibragimov pledged his immediate future to the team, and Ten Hag was eager to observe his performance with the first squad.
The winger announced the news on social media by uploading a photo of his boots to Instagram with the message, "1st team session," and a tick emoji.
He apparently attracted major attention from Europe's top teams, but he decided to stay longer at Old Trafford by signing the pre-scholarship forms.
He will then remain with United until he can reach an agreement on a professional deal when he becomes 17 years old.
The Manchester Evening News claims that United wanted to sign the player to a long-term contract because they thought he was one of the club's top academy prospects.
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