During his time with Manchester United's first team this season, Hannibal Mejbri has grown accustomed to the sorrow that can descend upon the squad's coaching staff.
On Saturday, the 19-year-old came on as a substitute for the fifth time this season, and United have failed to win any of those matches. Awaiting his first senior role in this dreadful campaign, the adolescent is still waiting.

Hannibal was confirmed as a first-team regular by Ralf Rangnick back in February, but Jesse Lingard and Juan Mata are both first-team regulars at Carrington and don't get much playing time. Due to recent injuries and the January decision to let Donny van de Beek and Anthony Martial to leave, Hannibal was able to make matchday squads, but he was not involved on the pitch. That's going to have to alter.

For the majority of December and January, the former Monaco midfielder was a member of Tunisia's national team. On his return to Carrington, Rangnick was congratulated on his promotion and made a point of praising his skills.

"Since he is now a regular member of the team, he will be training with us every day. For tomorrow's cup match against Middlesbrough, he will also be in the team "According to Rangnick, speaking to MUTV

As he was with the national team, I didn't see much of him. At a tournament that preceded the Africa Cup of Nations, I saw him play.

My initial impression is that he is a promising young talent after seeing him play in the championship match. " Because he deserves to remain a part of the team throughout this season, "
Hannibal has now appeared as a substitute at Old Trafford against Middlesbrough and Southampton, as well as away games against Manchester City, Atletico Madrid, and Everton. Atletico's win was the only one that gave United any reason to be hopeful.

Unfortunately, aspirations of a top-four finish have been dashed after Saturday's setback at Goodison Park. As an unused substitute, Hannibal would have seen some of the anger directed towards the team's more experienced players.

In light of the fact that the season is already effectively over, those fans would like to see some bright young players in the academy get a chance to shine in the last seven games. There's a good chance Hannibal will be first in line.

Starting at least one of those games, as well as appearing in a few more as a reserve, would feel like a missed chance.

It isn't always the best solution to include children in such situations. At the present, the atmosphere around Manchester United is toxic, which is not conducive to the development of young players.

While Hannibal, who has already represented his country at senior international level and has already garnered plenty of attention following his €10million transfer from Monaco in 2019, may be able to cope with the pressure, especially given that he has been training with this group for a couple of months, putting players at an earlier stage of their development — such as Alejandro Garnacho — into this environment may not be the best idea.

During this series of games, Hannibal will be put to the test both technically and in terms of temperament and character. We need to see if the teenager is ready to take on a larger role in United's midfield next season, as there are a number of openings there.

Jesse Lingard and Paul Pogba will be leaving on free transfers this summer, and while reinforcing the midfield is a necessity, answers might also come from within the club like Hannibal or James Garner, presently on loan at Nottingham Forest.

It is possible that Hannibal's versatility in the midfield could be a benefit for Chelsea next season. Young players that can quickly adapt to Erik Ten Hag's style of play are also likely to gain from his arrival.

As bad as things have been for Hannibal on the sidelines so far, the rest of the season still offers plenty of opportunities for him to see action with the first team. United and Ten Hag may learn a lot about him from this.