Manchester United's U21s win 3-2 as academy carries on without absent Gabriel

Manchester United’s Under-21s beat Brentford 3-2 at Leigh Sports Village on Friday evening, carrying on without JJ Gabriel, who was absent from the squad after requesting to leave the club. The 15-year-old touched down in Barcelona on the same day as his teammates played their final Premier League 2 fixture before the international break, with his camp set to hold talks with the Catalan club — though Real Madrid have also made significant progress in their pursuit.

First-team coach Michael Carrick, speaking ahead of kick-off, kept his comments measured. “The situation will work itself out, whatever way it’s going to work itself out,” he said. “Making sure he’s okay is the important thing.”

Carrick was not present at Leigh, but technical director Jason Wilcox attended alongside Darren Fletcher and Stephen Torpey — whose appointment last year was reportedly welcomed by Gabriel’s camp. Wilcox has led United’s efforts to persuade Gabriel’s representatives to reconsider, though sources close to the club acknowledge the chances of keeping him are slim.

The mood inside the academy has not been uniformly sympathetic. Midfielder Shea Lacey posted a photo of himself arriving at Old Trafford accompanied by a love-heart emoji just hours after the news of Gabriel’s request broke — a gesture widely read as a pointed statement of loyalty. It is understood that some people connected to other academy players felt the level of special treatment afforded to Gabriel went too far, and several of his teammates are said to have been motivated rather than deflated by the week’s events.

With Gabriel’s future increasingly likely to lie elsewhere, attention turns to who steps into the void. Samuel Lusale came into the starting XI against Brentford in his absence, while Amir Ibragimov is considered the standout candidate to become the side’s driving force going forward. Ibragimov wore the captain’s armband in last week’s game against Sabah’s youth team and continued to lead on the pitch at Leigh even without it.

United will feel the loss if Gabriel departs. Ryan Giggs recently described him as a “generational talent”, and losing a player of that profile at 15 is a significant blow for the academy’s long-term planning. Club officials, however, have been consistent in their message: no individual is bigger than the club, and the pathway to the first team remains open to those who earn it.