Jack Fletcher Joins Manchester United Squad Amid Injury Concerns

Jack Fletcher has been named in the Manchester United squad for Saturday’s Premier League clash against Tottenham, following the injury of Kobbie Mainoo. This decision preserves the club’s remarkable 88-year streak of including an academy graduate in every matchday roster.

Mainoo, aged 20, did not travel with the team to London due to a minor injury. In his place, 18-year-old Jack Fletcher, an England youth international and son of former United midfielder and current Under-18s coach Darren Fletcher, has been called up.

Although Jack has yet to make his first-team debut for United, he has been on the first-team bench multiple times during the previous season. He and his twin brother, Tyler, joined the club 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 and may reunite with his brother Tyler, who is representing Scotland.

For the last four matches, Mainoo had been the sole academy graduate included in United’s squad. Goalkeeper Tom Heaton, another academy product, is currently third choice behind Altay Bayındır and Senne Lammens.

Additionally, Tyler Fredricson, also an academy graduate from Stockport, featured in the EFL Cup defeat against Grimsby earlier this season.

Manchester United takes pride in its remarkable achievement of having an academy graduate, classified as a ‘homegrown player,’ in every matchday squad since 1937. This remarkable streak, which has exceeded 4,000 consecutive games, began on October 30, 1937, when Tom Manley and Jack Wassall participated in an away match against Fulham.

A homegrown player, as defined by the club, is one who has signed with United before the age of 21, has not played for another senior team, and has participated in a junior team at United.

Recently, coach Ruben Amorim expressed his commitment to maintaining this record, stating that he would not be the coach to end it. However, minority owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe has raised concerns about the standards of the academy, suggesting they have “really slipped.”