Manchester United can give Erik ten Hag a chance to make Hannibal Mejbri decision

Hannibal Mejbri has become accustomed to the despair that can creep into the Manchester United dugout during his exposure to the first team this season.

The 19-year-old was among the substitutes for the fifth time this season at Goodison Park on Saturday and United have won none of those games. Still the teenager waits for his first senior involvement of this wretched campaign.

It was in February that Ralf Rangnick confirmed Hannibal was now a permanent member of the first-team group at Carrington — but so are Jesse Lingard and Juan Mata and they hardly get a look-in either. The decision to allow Donny van de Beek and Anthony Martial leave in January, as well as recent injuries, opened the door to Hannibal making matchday squads, but not to involvement on the pitch. That has to change soon.

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The former Monaco midfielder spent a lot of December and January with Tunisia, first in the Arab Cup and then the Africa Cup of Nations. But when he returned to Carrington his promotion was confirmed and Rangnick talked up his abilities.

"He will, from now on, regularly train with us and be a regular member of the squad. He will also be part of the squad for tomorrow’s cup game [against Middlesbrough]," Rangnick told MUTV.

"To be honest, I haven’t seen that much of him as he was with the national team. I saw him play in the tournament, not the Africa Cup of Nations but the one before [the Arab Cup].

"I saw him play in the final and, from what I’ve seen so far, I think he’s a promising talent. He deserves to be part of the group for the rest of the season."

Hannibal has now been a substitute against Middlesbrough and Southampton at Old Trafford and in away games at Manchester