With Rasmus Hojlund and Joshua Zirkzee managing only five Premier League goals between them this season, Ruben Amorim has been increasingly willing to offer 17-year-old Obi opportunities in the first-team.
Obi has continued his sensational scoring run at youth level since leaving Arsenal for United last year and, after hitting another hat-trick in the FA Youth Cup against Chelsea, was recently called up to train with the first team before being included on the bench for each of the last four matches across all competitions, making cameos in the top-flight against both Tottenham – his senior club debut – and Everton.
After remaining an unused substitute for the 3-2 win over Ipswich, Obi was omitted from Adam Lawrence’s Under-18s group for an FA Youth Cup quarter-final tie away at former club Arsenal on Friday night, instead making the senior squad once more and again coming on against Fulham in the FA Cup on Sunday.
He had three strong chances to score and was denied a potential extra-time winner only by a superb save form Bernd Leno.
Why is Chido Obi not in Europa League squad?
United return to Europa League action when they travel to Spain for the first leg of their last-16 tie against Real Sociedad on Thursday night.
However, Obi will not be involved as he has not been named in United’s revised squad for the knockout stages, which was submitted to UEFA last month before the club considered the teenager to be a first-team player.
Added in their place were January signing Patrick Dorgu and Obi’s fellow recruit from Arsenal Ayden Heaven, who made his senior United debut off the bench as an extra-time replacement for the injured Harry Maguire on Sunday.
Not included in their ‘List A’ squad, Obi also crucially does not meet the necessary criteria to be included on ‘List B’, which can be added to up until 11pm the night before a game.
It is reserved for club-trained players born on or after January 1, 2003, who have been with their employers for an uninterrupted period of a minimum of two years.
Obi was born in 2007, but has only been with United for a period of months. Heaven does not meet the ‘List B’ criteria for the same reason after joining in January.
The oft-criticised Hojlund and Zirkzee therefore remain the only forwards in United’s ‘List A’ squad along with Amad Diallo, who is expected to miss the rest of the season with ankle ligament damage suffered last month. Alejandro Garnacho, himself without a goal since November, is on ‘List B’.
Ineligible for the Europa League and with United now out of both domestic cup competitions, Obi can only continue to gain first-team minutes in the Premier League this season.