England Consider Dropping Man Utd Teen JJ Gabriel From Youth Squads
England are weighing up whether to leave Manchester United teenager JJ Gabriel out of the next youth international squads as his request to cancel his Carrington registration is assessed.
What we know
- Gabriel, 15, has not trained with Manchester United since last week and has missed Under-21 matches.
- England staff are checking whether the attacking player is physically and mentally ready for international duty, with his welfare the central concern.
- The London-born forward turns 16 on October 6 and is facing uncertainty over his club future, with Real Madrid, Barcelona, Paris Saint-Germain and Bayern Munich monitoring developments.
- Known as “Kid Messi” from his early academy years in London, Gabriel scored a UEFA Youth League hat-trick for United last week.
- He has represented England at Under-15, Under-16 and Under-17 level. He can also play for the Republic of Ireland through his father and Cyprus through his mother.
- Gabriel previously declined an England Under-16 invitation in August 2025 in order to focus on his club progress.
What happens next
Youth squad selections are due shortly, but England’s teams below Under-21 level have only non-competitive fixtures in this international break. That gives Gabriel, his representatives and United time to address his registration situation without a qualifying match at stake.
United believe an agreement can still be reached. Gabriel is expected to remain out of match action while talks continue, with his return to club football and England duty dependent on a resolution in the coming weeks.
