Why is Chido Obi not in Manchester United’s Europa League squad?

The 17-year-old has impressed at points with appearances off the bench, but he is ineligible to feature in United’s European squad

Young Manchester United striker Chido Obi is unable to play a part in his side’s remaining Europa League matches as he was not included in the club’s updated squad list for the competition.

The 17-year-old impressed in his cameo during the FA Cup defeat to Fulham, and while he is still a raw talent, fans were hopeful of seeing more of him as the club fight in Europe for the last chance at silverware this season.

United’s attacking woes have been embodied by the misfiring pair of Rasmus Hojlund and Joshua Zirkzee in attack, with the Dane having gone 18 games without finding the net, while Zirkzee has just one goal in his last 16.

And while Obi would have added another dimension to a struggling United attack, the youngster is unable to face Real Sociedad, nor can he play any part in the rest of the competition, no matter how far United go.

Why is Obi not in the Europa League squad?

Obi was not considered a part of the first team when the squad list was submitted. In European competition, clubs submit a list of players to Uefa ahead of the group stage and then once again ahead of the knockout rounds (and after the January transfer window).

Ruben Amorim’s side had been allowed to add three new players to their 25-player ‘A’ list ahead of a 6 February deadline. But rather than add Obi, United chose new signings Patrick Dorgu and Ayden Heaven to add to the squad, alongside 17-year-old midfielder Jack Fletcher.

In simple terms, Obi was not considered a part of the first team when the club submitted their updated list – in fact, he did not make his senior debut for the club until 10 days after that deadline.

Clubs can add players to a so-called ‘B’ list at any point up until 11pm GMT on the day before a match, but such players must have been able to play for the club for two continuous years from their 15th birthday (or two of three seasons if the players has been out on loan). This does not apply to Obi as he only joined in October.

Who is Chido Obi?

The young striker was born in Denmark in 2007, and he was scouted by Arsenal in 2013, with his family having moved to the UK shortly beforehand. He is eligible to play for Denmark, England and Nigeria at international level.

He enjoyed a hugely successful spell in Arsenal’s youth teams, and was signed by United in October 2024 when his schoolboy terms expired. Late last year, he became the record scorer in the Premier League U18 competition, despite only turning 17 on 29 November.

Obi has mainly featured at youth level for United since joining in October (Getty Images)

Obi had mainly featured for United’s youth teams since joining, but a combination of Hojlund’s struggles and some great form at youth level – including a hat trick in the 5-1 FA Youth Cup win over Chelsea – meant that he was fast-tracked into the first team.

He made his senior United debut on 16 February, when he came on as a late substitute during United’s 1-0 loss to Tottenham.