JJ Gabriel’s future at Manchester United has moved sharply toward a departure after a dispute over playing-time demands reportedly went unanswered by Michael Carrick.

According to the draft, those managing the teenager asked for a minimum of 20 minutes in three specific matches: the Champions League opener against Sabah FK, the Carabao Cup home tie against Brighton & Hove Albion, and the forthcoming Premier League meeting with Bournemouth at Old Trafford. Carrick did not appear willing to accept those conditions.

Gabriel was left out of the first-team squad for the European match and instead featured for the Azerbaijan side’s U-19 on the same day. Before United had even lost to Brighton, reports had already begun to circulate that the youngster was considering a rapid exit.

If Carrick had selected the then-15-year-old, Gabriel would have become the youngest player in Manchester United’s first-team history, overtaking the record held by David Gaskell since 1956. While the modern game has increasingly opened the door to very young players, it would still have represented a significant call.

The situation has now shifted further in Gabriel’s favour. His representatives are said to believe that “promises” have been “broken,” and with his 16th birthday on Oct. 6, a new stage has begun in the breakdown of the relationship.

That date matters because Gabriel can now take immediate action. Thanks to his European passport, the son of a former Republic of Ireland international is able to move to another club in the European Union after turning 16. For United, what began as a dispute over minutes has developed into a transfer issue with major consequences.

Manchester United have endured their share of fitness problems this autumn, but the international break has at least brought a couple of encouraging signs for Michael Carrick. Carlos Baleba and Matthijs de Ligt both returned to the pitch, offering a rare lift amid an otherwise difficult spell.

Baleba is still waiting to make his Manchester United debut after arriving from Brighton in a deal that could rise to £70 million ($92.5 million). The Cameroon international was named among the substitutes for the trip to Fulham just before the break, though he remained unused as the match ended in a 1-1 draw. Carrick had already noted that the 22-year-old is “pushing to get back as quickly as possible”, and the friendly against Lausanne provided a chance to give him minutes.

Lausanne, who are currently bottom of the Swiss top flight, also offered a manageable test for de Ligt as he continues his return from a long layoff. The centre-back has spent close to a year out of action, with his most recent competitive appearance for the club coming in November 2025, when Ruben Amorim was still in charge.

De Ligt had surgery in May on a persistent back issue, a problem that also ruled him out of this summer’s World Cup. He has recently rejoined first-team training and then took another step forward by appearing for United in the behind-closed-doors friendly. A competitive comeback is still uncertain, although the Manchester Evening News suggest he could be ready as soon as next weekend’s Premier League meeting with Tottenham Hotspur.

Not everything has gone smoothly for Carrick during the break. Marcus Rashford and Kobbie Mainoo both withdrew from England duty before playing a part, with an ongoing hip problem cited for Rashford and no explanation given for Mainoo’s absence.

Benjamin Šeško also missed out on joining Slovenia’s camp after a shin problem returned at the end of September. He said: “I am already working on getting back on the pitch as soon as possible to help both the national team and my club once again,”

Paul Scholes has taken a sharply different line from Wayne Rooney over the idea of a retrospective Premier League title being handed out if Manchester City are punished over financial breaches. The former Manchester United midfielder made clear that he would not turn down a medal, even if the circumstances were far from ideal.

City have been found to have misreported revenues by more than $1.2 billion (£900 million) over the nine seasons from 2009-10 to 2017-18. Within that stretch, the club collected three league crowns, including the 2011-12 title that was secured on the final kick of the season and denied to a Manchester United side featuring both Rooney and Scholes.

Rooney has already said he “wouldn’t feel comfortable” accepting a medal for that campaign. He also argued, “I don’t think we deserve it. We didn’t do enough that season to win the league,” setting out why he would not want the title awarded after the fact.

Scholes responded with a much firmer position on social media. “Keep hearing ex-teammates saying they want trophies taking off them but they don’t want their medals…” Scholes wrote on social media, “f— that I’m a greedy b—— I want my medal.”

The debate comes against the backdrop of City’s guilty verdict, which remains subject to appeal. The finding was made by an independent judicial commission after two years of deliberation, and the club have said they will explore “all other legal avenues” available, including a further challenge to the Premier League or even involving the High Court of England and Wales.

For now, any possible sanction is still unresolved. But if the Premier League eventually moves to strip titles, the competition would have the authority to do so, including the possibility of redistributing medals. Even so, the first reaction reported was that clubs had “little appetite” for titles being removed, let alone reassigned, given the scale of time covered by the investigation.