Manchester United youngsters to audition

Manchester United’s final Premier League game of the season has opened a possible route for several academy players to push into first-team plans. Preview reports published on May 22 and May 23 said Shea Lacey, Tyler Fletcher and Jim Thwaites were among the youngsters in contention for involvement against Brighton & Hove Albion on Sunday. The timing matters because the club’s under-18 and under-21 sides were both involved in major finals last week. It also comes a day after United confirmed Michael Carrick as permanent head coach. ### Which academy names are being discussed for Brighton? Simon Stone of BBC Sport reported on May 22 that Shea Lacey was “the most obvious” youngster to step into the senior conversation for the trip to Brighton. Stone also said Tyler Fletcher and his twin brother Jack had trained extensively with the first team this season, while 18-year-old Jim Thwaites was on the bench for the first time at Chelsea last month. The Busby Babe said on May 23 that Carrick could rotate after academy players featured in both the FA Youth Cup final and the Premier League 2 play-off final last week. That preview tied the youth-team schedule directly to possible changes for Sunday’s senior match. ### Why is this weekend a realistic opening rather than just fan speculation? (sports.yahoo.com) Manchester United are already guaranteed third place in the Premier League table before kickoff at Brighton, according to the league’s match page for the Sunday fixture. That removes any league-position consequence from the result and gives Carrick more room to alter his selection. (thebusbybabe.sbnation.com) Michael Carrick was confirmed on May 22 as United’s permanent head coach on a two-year contract, the BBC reported. That appointment gives extra weight to any late-season team choices because the Brighton game is his first squad selection since losing the interim label. ### What have these youngsters done recently? Manchester United’s under-21 side reached the Premier League 2 play-off final before losing 1-0 to Brighton’s under-21s on May 17, according to match reports. (premierleague.com) Jim Thwaites was among the players involved in that final, which came at the end of a season in which several academy prospects moved closer to first-team training. (bbc.com) Last week’s FA Youth Cup final also kept United’s academy group in focus. Goal reported on Darren Fletcher’s criticism of the final’s venue after United lost to Manchester City, while BBC Sport said Carrick’s presence around the club had been inspiring for youth players during that run. ### Is this about one match, or about the summer squad? (sports.yahoo.com) Stone reported that United’s pre-season starts the day before the World Cup final, with a match against Wrexham in Helsinki, and said players involved in the tournament are unlikely to be available. That means younger players are expected to form much of the traveling group and could use any appearance at Brighton to strengthen their case for the summer. (goal.com) The same BBC report said academy players holding senior places would give United more flexibility in a transfer window when the club is expected to be active. That is Stone’s assessment, but it sets out why a bench place or cameo at Brighton could matter beyond Sunday. ### What exactly happens next? Brighton host Manchester United at the American Express Stadium on Sunday, May 24, at 8:00 a.m. (sports.yahoo.com) U.S. Eastern time, according to the Premier League match page. Carrick’s team sheet will show whether Lacey, Fletcher or Thwaites have moved from youth-team finals into the senior squad for the season finale. (premierleague.com)