Chidi Obi remained on the bench in the U21 match: what's happening with the Manchester United talent.

Obi did not get the chance to play for the first team

According to The Sun: Chidi Obi has yet to step onto the field for the Manchester United first team this season, remaining on the bench for the youth squad.

In a rare Wednesday match at Old Trafford, Obi did not play during the 2-1 victory in the International League Cup against Athletic Bilbao.

Getty Getty

Several hundred fans who came to support the team hoped to see Obi on the field but ended up enjoying good performances from other attackers: Gabriele Bianchi, Shea Lacey, and Amir Ibrahimov.

At just 17 years old, Obi briefly removed Manchester United from his Instagram profile earlier this month, which fans interpreted as an expression of dissatisfaction over limited playing time.

Plans for the future and matches

Obi has played three matches for the youth team, scoring in all of them, the last of which occurred on Sunday against Liverpool.

U21 coach Travis Binion explained that Obi's place on the bench is part of the rotation due to a busy match schedule — five games in 13 days.

It is quite likely that he will find himself on the bench again during the next game against Brentford, where he had previously made his only start for the first team in May. His youth and experience from eight matches last season have led to his current status as a substitute under Ruben Amorim.

Ticket prices for the match have risen to £5 for children and £10 for adults, representing a 233% increase compared to last season.

The team resumed training on Tuesday, and none of the players missed the opportunity to play in the match.

Teenager Diego Leon started the game against Liverpool but was given a day off, while goalkeeper Senn Lamens, who cost £18.2 million, is still awaiting his debut for Manchester United.

BEST FREE BETS AND JOIN ANY BETTING OFFERS

Darren Fletcher and his wife watched the match from the director's box, supporting their son Jack. The young attacking midfielder attempted to play as a left-back but also stood out in midfield.

James Skeplin and Jaycee Fitzgerald actively discussed the game moments. “F***ing keep the ball,” shouted center-back Rhys Bennett. Binion has launched an investigation following a controversial collision between Asier Hierro on a penalty kick in the 12th minute.

id='6380048990112' data-video-id='6380048990112' data-account='5067014667001' data-player='default' data-usage='cms:WordPress:6.5.6:2.8.6:javascript' data-embed='default' class='video-js' data-application-id='' controls style='width: 100%; height: 100%; position: absolute; top: 0; bottom: 0; right: 0; left: 0;'>

Jaycee Fitzgerald, who recently got a chance in the first team, performed well, and Bendito Mantao was the most active in attack until he had to shift to left-back. Striker Victor Musa appeared frustrated.

Despite Athletic's dominance, Obi warmed up several times in the first half.

At the hour mark, four substitutions were made. Obi quickly returned to the bench, ran up the stairs, and wrapped himself in a sports sweater.

Bianchi made an impressive breakthrough and passed to Skeplin, who equalized. Bianchi could have been the author of the winning goal in the 93rd minute, but his close-range shot hit the post and, after a deflection off goalkeeper Iker Galindo, went into the net.

Other substitutes, Ibrahimov and Lacey, also kept fans on edge until the final minutes. Obi remained on the bench.