There will be plenty of Manchester United interest when the World Cup begins in Qatar this weekend. United might not have any players involved in the opening match, but there will be plenty of familiar faces as the tournament starts to gather pace.
The majority of United's key players are away on international duty at the moment, but while the focus might be on how the likes of Harry Maguire, Raphael Varane and Casemiro get on this month, there is just as much intrigue in how one of their fringe players fares.
It has been two years since Facundo Pellistri signed for United on deadline day of the summer transfer window. Penarol received £9million for his services as he signed a five-year contract. He hasn't played a competitive game since.
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There is clearly something missing if Pellistri was not given a chance under Ole Gunnar Solskjaer or under either of the two regimes that have followed him. However, the mystery only heightens when you consider just how highly regarded he is in his homeland and the starring role he is set to have at the World Cup this winter.
The 20-year-old has made seven senior international appearances since his debut at the start of the year, only missing two of the matches they have played since then. All but one of those have been starts as well, with Pellistri typically selected on the right wing of a front three alongside Darwin Nunez and Luis Suarez.
He has been handed the No.8 shirt ahead of the tournament in Qatar, and the indication is that he will start again when they face South Korea in their opening match next Thursday.
It could well mean that Pellistri becomes a breakout star over the next month, yet no matter how well he does, it seems like his time at United is already coming to an end.
The Uruguayan youngster was an unused substitute for 12 matches in a row prior to the World Cup but was not part of the squad to face Fulham last weekend after being granted permission to join up with his national side early.
Pellistri scored in friendly wins over Derby County and Liverpool in successive summers, but he still hasn't been handed a competitive debut despite his growing reputation.
He impressed on loan with Alaves at the start of last year but had a torrid time when he returned to the club last season. He had been earmarked for a loan exit this past summer, but those chances were scuppered when he sustained an ankle injury in the pre-season friendly defeat to Atletico Madrid.
Now, his next move might be permanent instead of temporary. Pellistri is desperate for meaningful playing time next year and has little interest in sticking around at United when his pathway to the first team is blocked.
There is a feeling that if he were ever to get a proper chance, he would have done so already, and that the next logical step in his career should be moving to a club where that is possible.
Of course, the World Cup will likely be an influencing factor in that. A standout tournament might well put pressure on Erik ten Hag to give him a chance once he returns, though most likely, it will just increase how much United can ask for him next year.
The other issue for Pellistri is that no matter how well he performs, he faces the tough task of dislodging Antony on the right wing. That seems impossible given the enormous fee paid for him, how important he is to the team already and the fact that he is very much a Ten Hag favourite.
It would be an almighty shame if he were to leave United having never played competitively for the club, even more so when he is already a full-fledged international whom they signed for more money than they spent on the likes of Chris Smalling and Javier Hernandez previously.
Those factors all contribute to the enigma of Pellistri. Ultimately, we don't know if he is good enough to make it at United because he simply hasn't been given the chance.
Next week should at least give us a first glimpse of what he is really all about. The World Cup might have put the club season on hold, but it will allow Pellistri to resume his.
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