Alejandro Garnacho (R) of Manchester United dashes with the ball in the England Football League Cup game against Aston Villa at Old Trafford in Manchester, England, November 10, 2022. /CFP
Erik ten Hag, manager of Manchester United, questioned if it is still too early for 18-year-old Alejandro Garnacho to join the Argentine national team for the coming 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar.
Having joined the Manchester United Academy in 2020, Garnacho grew fast in the past two years and made his first team debut in April. On Thursday night, he delivered two assists for Man United to help the club come back to defeat Aston Villa 4-2 in the English Football League Cup at Old Trafford.
Having scored two goals and three assists in 10 games for the Red Devils so far in the 2022-23 season, Garnacho was drawing more and more attention, and he was already named for Argentina's preliminary squad for the Qatar World Cup.
Erik ten Hag, manager of Manchester United, during the England Football League Cup game against Aston Villa at Old Trafford in Manchester, England, November 10, 2022. /CFP
"It is a big step to go to a World Cup where all the best players go together," ten Hag said. "That is a big step and I don't know if that is the right step for him. I think he has to keep clean, stay calm and work hard and develop, and improve game to game."
"It's difficult to say, I don't know the abilities of all the Argentina players. I know a lot of players from Argentina, but for 26, what is available for them," he added.
When Lionel Messi made his World Cup debut for Argentina in Germany in 2006, he was 18 years, 11 months and 24 days old. Pele played his first World Cup for Brazil in Sweden in 1958 at 17 years and 234 days old. He scored 16 goals to help the team win their first World Cup title. There are four players who made their World Cup debut at an even younger age than Pele.
Alejandro Garnacho of Argentina looks on during the team's training session in Buenos Aires, Argentina, March 23, 2022. /CFP
Though ten Hag questions whether Garnacho is ready to go to Qatar, he spared no words praising the young man.
"When he keeps working, keeps this attitude, then anything is possible. If he keeps his attitude and wants to improve every day, when he is doing the right things in his lifestyle, it is possible," the Man United manager said. "You can see he has capabilities and can contribute to attacking football. Also he has something, he can break open a compact defending line. I think all teams that want to attack, that want to play in opponents' half, they need players like that."
Argentina have until 7:00 p.m. (Atlantic Standard Time), November 14, to submit their 26-player squad for the Qatar World Cup to FIFA.