Chido Obi travels with Man Utd: The reason behind his surprise trip despite ineligibility v Athletic Club

Denmark U21 international of Nigerian descent, Chido Obi, was a surprise inclusion in Manchester United's travelling squad to Bilbao for the first leg of their Europa League semifinal against Athletic Club. 

The former Arsenal schoolboy will not be available for selection in Thursday's Europa League match against Athletic Club as he is ineligible for the competition. 

Obi is ineligible to play for the Red Devils in the Europa League as he was not registered on the club's A or B list.

UEFA's 'B list' allows clubs to register young, homegrown players who have been with the team for at least two consecutive years.

However, Obi — who only joined Manchester United from Arsenal in October 2024 — does not meet this requirement.

Joining the Danish-Nigerian centre-forward in the 26-man travelling squad that arrived in Bilbao on Wednesday was Sekou Kone. 

According to Manchester United's official website, a larger group has been selected as there is due to be a session locally on Friday morning, which will feature youngsters, including Chido Obi and Sekou Kone.

Since making his senior debut in United's 1-0 loss to Tottenham Hotspur,  Obi has appeared in six matches across all competitions for the first team, logging 113 minutes. 

Ifeanyi Emmanuel

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