Jack Fletcher Set to Replace Injured Kobbie Mainoo for Tottenham Clash
Manchester United midfielder Jack Fletcher is poised to step in for the injured Kobbie Mainoo in the squad for Saturday's Premier League match against Tottenham, ensuring the continuation of the club's 88-year tradition of including an academy product in every matchday squad.
Mainoo, 20, did not travel to London with head coach Ruben Amorim's squad due to a minor injury.
Jack Fletcher, an England youth international and the son of former United midfielder and current Under-18s coach Darren Fletcher, has made the trip with the squad.
The 18-year-old has yet to make his first-team debut for United but was included on the first-team bench several times last season.
He and his twin brother Tyler joined United from Manchester City's academy in 2023.
Jack has also been selected for England's Under-19 squad for the upcoming European Championship qualifiers in Lithuania, where he may encounter Tyler, who is part of Scotland's squad.
For the past four matches, Mainoo has been the only academy graduate in United's squad.
Goalkeeper Tom Heaton is another option from the academy, although the 39-year-old is currently third choice behind Altay Bayındır and Senne Lammens.
The only other academy player to feature in a squad this season is Stockport-born Tyler Fredricson, who started in the EFL Cup defeat against Grimsby.
Manchester United takes pride in its record of having at least one academy graduate, referred to as a "homegrown player," in every matchday squad since 1937.
This remarkable streak, which has lasted over 4,000 consecutive games, began on October 30, 1937, when Tom Manley and Jack Wassall participated in an away match against Fulham.
The club defines a homegrown player as someone who signed before the age of 21, played at a junior level below the first team at United, and has not played for another team at the senior level.
Amorim recently stated that he would not be the coach to end this historic record, although minority owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe has criticized the academy, claiming that standards have "really slipped."