Facundo Pellistri has not been handed a Manchester United start in more than two years at the club but has still been deemed good enough for Uruguay's World Cup squad.
The youngster, signed during Ole Gunnar Solskjaer's tenure, has had to head out on loan to continue his development at Spanish side Alaves, but has done enough to be named in his country's 26-man squad for the tournament in Qatar. Uruguay have twice won the World Cup and have a good recent record in the tournament.
Diego Alonso's side, led by Luis Suarez and former United man Edinson Cavani, are in a group with Portugal, South Korea and Ghana. Pellistri will be the youngest member of a squad which also includes Liverpool 's record signing Darwin Nunez and Tottenham's Rodrigo Bentancur.
Pellistri spent successive seasons on loan in LaLiga, which allowed him to showcase his talents in one of Europe's main leagues, and the Uruguay boss spoke glowingly about the 20-year-old, who has earned all seven of his caps in 2022, back in the summer.
Alonso said: “I believe a lot in the characteristics of soccer players and I also believe a lot in my soccer players. I trust a lot in the Uruguayan footballer and in what he can do. I thought that the characteristics that Pellistri has could help us a lot with the game that we want to implement.
"From there, I told him what I wanted from him, what I did value in him and then the one who gave the rest was him. He came here when he was 20 years old, he put on the starting shirt of the senior team and he played the way he played… that speaks much better about him than about me."
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Pellistri is looking for more involvement at club level amid growing rumours he will look to leave United in January without ever making a first-team appearance. The Red Devils signed him from Penarol for a reported €10m but he has sat on the bench under Erik ten Hag this term.
There is plenty of competition in United's forward line with Marcus Rashford, Antony, Jadon Sancho and Anthony Elanga all ahead of the Uruguayan. Pellistri is now hoping a strong showing at the World Cup will put him in the shop window.
"I think that with a good World Cup, as we think it will have, his departure is imminent," his agent, Edgardo Lasalvia, told ESPN. Pellistri had been under the impression he would be part of the first-team picture when he moved to Manchester, but that has not turned out to be the case amid his continued wait for his debut.
