Manchester United forward Chido Obi is scheduled to play in the Premier League Under-21 International Cup quarter-final against Real Madrid at Old Trafford. Obi, who made eight first-team appearances for United last season including his first start, has recently started training with the senior squad again.

Since returning from United's pre-season tour, Obi has been included on the senior team bench once — against Wolverhampton Wanderers on Dec. 30 — and did not play. The club rejected loan inquiries for the forward in January.

Adam Lawrence, United's under-21 coach who returned to the club in late January after serving as Obi's under-18 coach last season, said the decision to keep the player at the academy level was deliberate. "It was a conscious decision at the start of the season for Chido to concentrate his development in the academy environment," Lawrence said.

"The club were right to do what they did in the window just gone, for Chido to stay in the building," he added.

Lawrence said Obi's recent training time with the senior squad followed his performances at youth level. "Of late, he's had more training opportunities with the first team," Lawrence said. "The good thing for him to understand is that's off the back of how he's been training and performing at academy level as opposed to doing it out of necessity."

"Chido has real quality and potential and is in a really good place," Lawrence said. "He's benefited from routine, rhythm and a settled programme. He's got the same people working with him and similar groups of players."

Obi has scored 15 goals this season across youth competitions, including four goals in a single Premier League 2 match against Leicester in February and a goal in each of the past three rounds of the FA Youth Cup.

Manager Ruben Amorim promoted Obi to the senior squad toward the end of last season when Obi was 17 years old, and the forward went on to feature in seven Premier League games and one FA Cup match. "Amass is struggling in Championship. Chido is not always a starter in the under-21s," Amorim said.

"We're pushing Chido and challenging him. He has a great programme of games ahead of him and ultimately his level of progression and performance will dictate what happens in the summer," Lawrence said.

Born and raised in Copenhagen, Denmark, Obi moved to England in 2020 and joined United from Arsenal as a striker. He was capped by Denmark's under-21 national team in September. Obi suffered a concussion against Chelsea Under-21s in March but has fully recovered ahead of the quarter-final against Real Madrid at Old Trafford.

Obi has also been doing solo gym work at a fitness center near United's Carrington training ground, as club staff identified that he needed to develop other parts of his game on and off the pitch as he progressed through the age groups.