Manchester United must tread carefully with Alejandro Garnacho decision

Though Manchester United obviously want Alejandro Garnacho back and firing as soon as possible, the young starlet being ruled out of the upcoming Under-20s World Cup due to injury may save them a tough decision.

Garnacho has been the breakthrough star of the season at Old Trafford. The exciting winger promised big things last year with his scintillating performances in the FA Youth Cup, which saw United lift the prestigious trophy for the first time since 2011. Despite those lofty expectations which are inevitable for such a thrilling talent, the teenager has surpassed them in style.

It helps that in Erik ten Hag not only does he have a manager who made a habit of giving talent a chance at Ajax but also someone who knows exactly how to nurture them to become world-class players. The Dutchman was very patient at first. Aside from a minute in the opening defeat to Brighton, Garnacho had to wait until November before he saw any Premier League action.

Read next: United get major triple injury boost ahead of Sevilla and Brighton fixtures

He got minutes in the Europa League and in just his second start scored the winner against Real Sociedad before 10 days later he got his first league goal with a last-gasp winner against Fulham. He also picked up two assists in the match in between. The temptation to play such a talented player must have been hard to resist but Ten Hag showed restraint in not throwing the raw and inexperienced kid straight into the firing line.

The cautious approach paid dividends as after the World Cup, Garnacho was involved all the time. Once domestic football resumed, he started or came on in 23 consecutive games and was often making important contributions. An assist against Manchester City was the