Manchester United fans are excited after seeing Kobbie Mainoo return to the pitch on Tuesday.
The 18-year-old joined the first-team squad for pre-season and looked seriously impressive in a friendly victory over Arsenal in the United States.
However, he suffered an unfortunate injury against Real Madrid in July and left the NRG Stadium on crutches.
Mainoo faced a spell on the sidelines at the worst possible time but returned to first-team training last week and wowed supporters with a stunning piece of skill in training.
Advert
He wasn't included in the squad for the win over Sheffield United, nor was he selected for the Champions League clash against Copenhagen.
Instead, the midfielder was eased back into the mix against the Danish outfit's Under 19's side, featuring Rasmus Hojlund's brother Emil, in the UEFA Youth League.
United lost 1-0 at home after Queyrell Tchicamboud bagged but Mainoo's performance caught the eye and plenty feel as though he has the capacity to do the business in the first-team.
He was incredibly tidy in possession and showed off an impressive range of passing, while he was also strong and imposed his physicality on his opponents.
Advert
There's a dynamism to his game that could be well-suited to Erik ten Hag's side.
He was nowhere near full fitness and so wasn't at his sharpest but still got 45 minutes in the tank before he was substituted for Jayce Fitzgerald at half-time.
Mainoo showcased his qualities though and made it easy to understand why he was told he would be part of the first-team squad this season.
Advert
Explaining his situation on Friday, Ten Hag said: "He is close. He is already training with us. Not today but I think, next week, he will have some minutes in the team. So then he can catch up his game minutes. So he is really improving and ready to get back in the squad for games."
Featured Image Credit: MUTVTopics: Manchester United, Champions League, Erik Ten Hag