As United prepare to face Worcester City, assistant manager Ned Kelly has confirmed that two of the club’s youth team players will be in the squad that travels to Aggborough.
Striker Kyle Wootton and full-back Reece Mosanya have both excelled for Tony Daws’ youth side this season and their efforts haven’t gone unnoticed by members of the first team management staff.Wootton has been involved with the pros at various points during the current campaign but Wednesday’s cup clash could represent the first time that Mosanya has featured in Mark Robins’ matchday side.
Kelly told The Iron Player: “Kyle is in the squad and could be involved.
“Reece Mosanya will also join the group so it will possibly be his first involvement in the eighteen.
“We’ll look at Sheffs (Gary McSheffrey) first to see how he is but that’s the group so that’s what we’ve got.
“Reece is a natural left-back. He’s left footed and can play further up on the left wing as well.
“He’s very quick and a little bit similar to Marcus (Williams) I suppose. He has the same sort of stature and he’s just learning the game really with the U18 squad at the moment.”
One player that won’t be involved with the first team for the foreseeable future is Deon Burton, who had his loan spell at York City cut short last month due to a knee injury.
The forward has been using facilities at St George’s Park, the English Football Association’s national football centre, in an effort to rehabilitate but Kelly revealed that he is still some way off a return to action.
Eddie Nolan has also been sidelined in recent weeks with an ankle knock and whilst Kelly stated that the Irishman shouldn’t take as long as Burton to fully recover, he doesn’t expect to see his defender back in the team before the year is out.
He added: “Deon is progressing slowly. He’s been at St George’s Park for the last couple of weeks for some intensive rehab but he’s a way off at the moment.
“The time scale was going to be what it was – well into the New Year.
“That’s why he’s gone to St George’s because the facilities there are first class and it gives Deon the best opportunity to get fit as quickly as possible.
“It will be a shorter time period for Eddie but again we’re not expecting him this side of the New Year.”
See much more from Ned Kelly and Terry Hawkridge on The Iron Player.