Man Utd striker left out of Europa League squad despite Reds desperate for goals

As Manchester United continue their search for goals, 17-year-old Chido Obi has emerged as a promising prospect. However, despite growing interest in the young striker, he will not be involved in Thursday’s Europa League clash against Lyon.

United have confirmed that the Danish forward is “ineligible for the competition” and will not feature in Europe this season. This is due to UEFA squad registration rules.

Clubs were allowed to register three new players to their 25-man 'A' list for the knockout stages by the 6 February deadline. United used those spots to register January signings Patrick Dorgu and Ayden Heaven, bolstering Ruben Amorim’s senior options. At that time, Obi was not yet being considered part of the first team.

Although UEFA also permits teams to add eligible youngsters to their 'B' list up until the night before a match, Obi does not meet the required criteria. To be eligible for the 'B' list, a player must have been at the club for two consecutive years since their 15th birthday, or for two of the last three years if they’ve had a loan spell elsewhere.

Having joined United from Arsenal’s academy in October 2023, Obi falls short of the timeline and is therefore unavailable for European competition.

Obi signed for United at the age of 16 and has quickly made an impression. After netting a hat-trick in a 5-1 FA Youth Cup win over Chelsea on 12 February, he was promoted to the first-team squad amid injuries and limited attacking options following the January loan departures of Marcus Rashford and Antony.

Just four days after his Youth Cup heroics, Obi made his senior debut off the bench in a 1-0 defeat to Tottenham, becoming the club’s third-youngest Premier League player. He has since made two more appearances, including a lively substitute display in the FA Cup penalty shootout loss to Fulham, where he registered three shots—more than both Rasmus Hojlund and Joshua Zirkzee.

While Obi is unavailable for Europe, several other academy players are eligible for Thursday's clash. These include Harry Amass, Louis Jackson, Habeeb Ogunneye, Jack Fletcher, and Jayce Fitzgerald—all of whom qualify for the 'B' list.

In domestic competition, the Premier League's Under-21 list rules differ, allowing Obi to remain part of the extended squad. He is currently one of 57 players registered under this category.