Manchester United is expected to have a full squad against Manchester City, with the €40 million winger returning! Fletcher explains why "Little Messi" won't be used.

In the upcoming home Premier League match against Manchester City, the official interim manager is anticipated to have the complete lineup. Following Ivory Coast’s 2-3 exit to Egypt in the Africa Cup of Nations, United’s €40 million winger Amad Diallo has set off to rejoin the squad and will participate in training after next Monday.

Interestingly, after the match when Amad was sitting on the grass, deeply disappointed, it was Manchester City's Egyptian winger Omar Marmoush who came over to lift him up and comfort him with a hug. Since Egypt advanced, Marmoush will likely miss the second leg of the Manchester derby next weekend.

After Amad's elimination, two of Manchester United’s three African Cup of Nations internationals have confirmed their return, with Cameroon’s Mbemou already out after Friday’s defeat. Therefore, although Mazraoui’s Morocco will still compete in the Africa Cup semifinals on Wednesday, his role at United is not as crucial as the other two right-wing players.

When Amad and Mbemou return, they might find the team’s head coach has changed twice! Speaking about the managerial changes in an interview, Amad said: "I have a great relationship with Ruben (Amorim), like a father and son. So this is a heavy topic, and I’m a bit sad because he is a coach who valued me and gave me more opportunities to play for Manchester United. I’m really upset; I sent him a message thanking him for everything he did for me. I also want to thank him for the impact he had on my life, especially my career."

Players involved in the Africa Cup of Nations will miss Manchester United’s FA Cup home match against Brighton on Sunday. Consequently, English media once speculated that 15-year-old Red Devils academy prospect JJ Gabriel might be included in the squad for the first time and even make a record-breaking debut. However, interim coach Darren Fletcher has clearly stated that Gabriel will not participate.

Fletcher explained: "Can Gabriel be selected for the team? He’s eligible, but he won’t actually be chosen. Obviously, anyone could be selected. I’m very excited about his talent, and most importantly, he’s continually improving. He currently plays for the U18s and performs exceptionally well, but he still has a lot to learn."

The temporary United coach believes there is no need to play Gabriel just to boost stats, as he is still very young. "The world belongs to him, and he just needs to keep working hard; his opportunities will come naturally. But for now, the timing isn’t right, and I think many people would agree with that."

Fletcher concluded: "JJ is an incredibly gifted player, and I really enjoy working with him and getting to know him. You know, he’s a young guy with a lot of popularity. Everyone around him speaks highly of him, which is deserved because he truly is a talented kid. He works hard, loves football. From the start, I said he’s a football lover. He enjoys training, loves playing, likes to control the ball, dares to show himself, makes good decisions, and his passion for football is astonishing. But he is still just a promising 15-year-old boy."

Although Gabriel, nicknamed "Little Messi," won’t play, Manchester United fans can still look forward to 18-year-old academy winger Shea Lacey, who nearly scored a late winner as a substitute against Burnley. "I told him to stay wide and do what he needs to do, and he did exactly that. I believe he will make a significant impact," Fletcher said.

Lacey, born into a Liverpool-supporting family in Liverpool and once holding an Anfield season ticket, chose to support Manchester United and ultimately plays for the Red Devils. Wearing the No. 61 shirt, Lacey has been compared to Messi but is now most often called "Manchester United’s Phil Foden." However, he surely hopes that one day the English media will simply call him by his name—Shea Lacey.