Manchester United's "Little Messi" may make his FA Cup debut this week after training with the first team! Fletcher might make history

JJ Gabriel, Manchester United's promising young academy talent, is set to rewrite history this Sunday. The English forward, who only turned 15 on October 6 last year, might feature in the FA Cup match against Brighton, which would make him the youngest player in the club’s history to appear on the pitch.

Last summer, Manchester United resisted Barcelona's efforts and managed to secure Gabriel's contract extension for two more years. At that time, CEO Omar Berrada and Sporting Director Jason Wilcox promised to give him opportunities in the future and arranged meetings with then-coach Ruben Amorim and the legendary Sir Alex Ferguson.

This season, Gabriel has mainly played for Manchester United's under-18 team, scoring 11 goals in 14 matches, including a hat-trick during the 7-0 win over Liverpool U18s on November 7. Last month, in the Youth FA Cup against Peterborough United, Gabriel scored the winning goal in a 1-0 victory, marking his first appearance at Old Trafford.

Gabriel has joined the first team training sessions multiple times, including this week. Manchester United's long-standing tradition of promoting young players is well-known, but expectations are growing that Gabriel might make his debut earlier than any other academy graduate before him.

No one knows Gabriel better than Manchester United's current caretaker manager Darren Fletcher, who previously coached the Red Devils' U18 squad and worked closely with him. Fletcher primarily positioned this "Little Messi" prodigy as a striker, although it is widely believed that Gabriel will eventually transition to an attacking midfielder or winger role.

In his own debut, Fletcher gave another famous Manchester United youngster, 18-year-old "the new Phil Foden," Shea Lacey, a substitute appearance. Lacey's shot hit the post, nearly producing a last-minute winner like Markada’s. Will Old Trafford belong to Gabriel this Sunday? Fans are eagerly watching.

According to the rules, Gabriel will miss all Premier League matches this season because players must have turned 15 before August 31 to be eligible for that season's Premier League. Born in October 2010, Gabriel will have to wait until the 2026/27 season to make his debut in England's top flight. In contrast, Arsenal's prodigy Dowman, born on December 31, 2009, debuted in the Premier League last August.

The FA Cup has different regulations; the English FA abolished the previous age restrictions years ago. Now, players under 16 from youth academies are eligible to participate in the FA Cup, provided they are registered and their parents or guardians, along with their schools, have given consent to the FA.

In January 2023, Chris Rigg of Sunderland appeared in the FA Cup third round at 15 years, 6 months, and 2 days old, helping his team eliminate Shrewsbury. Last October, Marshall Hayes, part of Manchester United's 1992 class, played for Salford City in the FA Cup first round at only 15 years, 2 months, and 6 days, becoming the youngest player to represent a professional team in the competition. Interestingly, their opponent was also Shrewsbury!

Gabriel cannot break the Premier League or FA Cup records, but if he plays, he could become the youngest player in the club’s history to appear. The current record is held by goalkeeper David Gaskell, who debuted on October 24, 1956, at 16 years and 19 days old. The British Daily Mail reports that Fletcher is likely to include Gabriel in Manchester United's squad for Sunday’s match.