Man United rarely-seen starlet should start vs Como, he can be the game-changer
Man United boss Michael Carrick must hand an opportunity to Harry Amass against Como as Luke Shaw spends more time on the sidelines.
Amass, 19, failed to make his way into Carrick's first-team plans during pre-season after recovering from a serious hamstring injury.
The left-back was close to leaving the club on loan to the Championship once more, but stayed at United after Carrick failed to bolster his depth in the position.
He has only featured once so far this season under Carrick but has continued to prove that he is ready for first-team football with standout performances at youth level.
Amass must be handed a rare chance to shine against Como on Wednesday as Luke Shaw faces more time out injured and Carrick looks to rotate his squad.
The door is open for him to start as Patrick Dorgu remains sidelined for the Champions League clash, with Diogo Dalot set to feature at right-back as Leny Yoro is also out.
Harry Amass deserves a chance to stake a claim for Man United vs Como
Amass endured contrasting fortunes in his two Championship loan spells at Sheffield Wednesday and Norwich City last season.
He shone for the struggling Owls in the first half of the campaign, but suffered a season-ending hamstring injury just days after his debut for the Carrow Road club.
The 19-year-old has recovered in recent months to play a part in Carrick's squad, but it remains unclear why he has not been trusted regularly by the Red Devils boss so far in this campaign.
His only senior appearance so far in 2026-27 has been in the UCL, coming on from the bench against Sabah, and he should now be firmly in line to start for United as they visit Como on Wednesday.
He was among the best left-backs in the second tier last season for several key metrics, like successful dribbles per 90 (1.63, 95th percentile), duels won per 90 (7.7, 94th percentile), defensive contributions per 90 (7.32, 89th percentile) and recoveries per 90 (6.79, 96th percentile).
It is clear that United are planning for him to stay long-term, after recent reports of a contract extension being in the pipeline, so now is surely the obvious time for Carrick to hand him the chance to stake a claim over the injured Shaw and Dorgu.
United have no other fit, natural left-backs in their squad as it stands, with Dalot, who started there against Leeds, surely set for a right-back berth in the absence of Yoro.
Carrick has hinted at Amass getting more first-team opportunities at United
Carrick clearly feels as if he needs to trust experience over youth in his time of need, but may have no choice but to hand Amass a chance in Northern Italy this week.
The Red Devils manager admitted last month that he was pleased to hand him some game time in their UCL win over Sabah, saying: "I'm delighted with being able to get Harry on the pitch - and Shea [Lacey]. It's important, it's something we were focused on as the game developed. It's important to get the younger boys on the pitch for this football club, so I'm pleased with both of them."
It surely now makes sense to give the teenager a huge chance to impress as the club faces an injury crisis and needs someone to step up to inspire them to victory.