Bruno Fernandes has admitted that Facundo Pellistri should have made his Manchester United debut "a long time ago" following the youngster's impressive cameo against Charlton on Tuesday night.
Pellistri, 21, was signed by Ole Gunnar Solskjaer back in October 2020 but had not played a single minute of senior football until he was introduced for the final 10 minutes of United's comprehensive 3-0 win in the Carabao Cup quarter-finals.
Erik ten Hag's decision to hand Pellistri his senior bow ended the youngster's agonising two-and-a-half-year wait for a first-team chance - and the Uruguay international certainly made the most of it by teeing up Marcus Rashford for United's second goal.
Even before Pellistri bagged an assist, he had the Old Trafford faithful off of their seats with some silky footwork. On the whole, United fans appeared to come away impressed with Pellistri, who earned plenty of plaudits on social media.
Some fans questioned why it had taken Pellistri so long to be given a chance following his eye-catching cameo - and that appeared to be backed up by Fernandes, who commented on an Instagram post that Pellistri shared after the match.
Pellistri posted: "The day has come! happy to make my official debut!". While other Manchester United players replied, Fernandes' response stood out. He simply said: "You deserved it a long time ago".
There has been plenty of speculation over Pellistri's future as a result of Manchester United's reluctance to hand the winger a first-team chance and he was even urged to quit Old Trafford by former Uruguay favourite Gus Poyet last year.
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Pellistri had been tipped to muscle his way into Ten Hag's first-team plans after impressing for Uruguay at the World Cup. The Dutchman revealed that Pellistri had impressed in a behind-closed-doors friendly against Everton shortly after his return from Qatar.
And Ten Hag was even more enthused following Pellistri's instant impact from the bench in midweek. Speaking after the match, the United chief said of Pellistri: "He's progressing, also against Everton [in the behind-closed-doors game] I was really happy with his performance, I was happy with his performance in the World Cup, his progress is really good.
"He's come on and had an effect so that's the next step. I say well done, better, and keep going."
Since Pellistri's cameo, the youngster has been linked with a temporary move away from Old Trafford: Championship outfit Watford have emerged as a potential destination for Pellistri if United do decide to send him out on loan.
But Ten Hag remained coy over Pellistri's future when he was asked if the youngster was set to feature in his immediate plans. He added: "I see a future in him and he is doing really well and we have to see what is the best."
