Whilst the likes of Charlie Savage and Zidane Iqbal have thrived in the opening two fixtures of Manchester United's tour, supporters are beginning to forget about the most promising youth player on the tour.
Hannibal Mejbri is yet to get any minutes on United's pre-season tour of Thailand and Australia, with Ten Hag specifically looking at Savage and Iqbal in the midfield so far.
The pair were tested in the engine room together for the second halves against Liverpool and Melbourne Victory. Iqbal was the standout, but the Welsh midfielder also showing his impressive passing range from deep.
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The Iraq international has since received buckets of praise from United fans. However, with four more games to play before the Premier League opener against Brighton, we will likely see Hannibal given the chance to prove himself to the new manager too.
Ten Hag mentioned after the latest victory that he plans to assess all of the players during pre-season, so then he can decide how he should move forward with them.
“I want to have an impression from all the players, and they get a chance to show what they can [do] and what they’re capable of," He began. "If they can contribute to Manchester United or maybe if a loan period is better,
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"There is also other possibilities, but it is good that United has some talents but also you see that you need improvement and development.”
Hannibal will certainly be a player eager to impress the manager in the coming weeks. He's one of the youth players that you'd suggest is ready to contribute to the first-team, rather then taking the more traditional loan route.
The Tunisian started against Crystal Palace on the final day of the season last term while Ten Hag was in attendance.
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Reports following the Dutchman's announcement said that he was impressed by the 19-year-old midfielder and it would not be surprising if he's one of the few to make a claim in the first-team squad next season.
With upcoming fixtures against Crystal Palace, Aston Villa, Atletico Madrid and Rayo Vallecano; it is expected that Hannibal is given a chance to shine in those games.
A notable question will be in which position, though. His versatility and ability to play from deep or higher up means that locking him to a certain position is a difficult one.
He was utilised by Ralf Rangnick against Palace as a left-winger, but most believe he is more suited to a central role as a number eight or ten.
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The power and technical ability that the player possesses makes him a natural option in the engine room. His ability to make the correct decisions, with a lovely weight of pass, adds to this opinion.
Similarly to Iqbal, who impressed many in the opening pre-season fixtures, Hannibal's technique with the ball is exquisite and it can often look like the ball is glued to his foot.
With attention currently away from the player, he could give United fans a friendly reminder of the strength in the United academy at the moment.
Iqbal is an incredible talent, who could have a very successful career, but Hannibal is slightly ahead of him in development and could be the one who is ready to pounce on any opportunities given by Ten Hag.
Topics: Manchester United, Zidane Iqbal, Charlie Savage, Erik Ten Hag, Liverpool, Crystal Palace, Aston Villa, Football, Premier League
Cain Smith