Man United star's season ended early after suffering severe ankle injury | OneFootball

Manchester United’s promising young winger Bendito Mantato has been dealt a significant blow after sustaining an ankle injury that could rule him out for the remainder of the 2025–26 season. Manchester Evening News report that the 18-year-old is currently recovering while wearing a protective boot, with medical staff focusing on rehabilitation rather than rushing his return.

The injury comes at a frustrating time for the highly rated academy graduate, who had recently begun to make inroads into the senior squad and was building momentum following his first-team debut earlier in the campaign.

For a player widely regarded as one of the brightest prospects in United’s youth system, the setback represents a temporary halt in what had been a rapidly rising trajectory.

Injury strikes at a crucial stage of development

The debilitating injury occurred earlier this month during an Under-21s fixture against Chelsea.

Shortly after being introduced from the bench to inject pace into the game, Mantato sustained the ankle damage that would ultimately end his campaign.

Medical assessments have since confirmed the severity of the issue, and the teenager is currently confined to a protective boot.

For an academy graduate hovering on the periphery of regular senior minutes, the timing is a devastating blow, with the medical staff drawing a definitive line under his season to focus entirely on rehabilitation.

Mantato’s extended absence will be felt most acutely in United’s pursuit of silverware in the FA Youth Cup. Having started crucial early-round fixtures against Peterborough, Derby County, and Oxford United, the winger was already forced to watch from the stands as the U18s successfully dispatched Sunderland in the quarter-finals.

Now, he will miss the highly anticipated semi-final clash against Crystal Palace. Adding salt to the wound, should United progress, Mantato will be sidelined for a potential mini-Manchester derby against Manchester City in a blockbuster final at the Etihad.

First team aspirations on hold for Man United youngster

Bendito Mantato of Manchester United looks on (Photo by Lewis Storey/Getty Images)

This setback hits the pause button on a remarkably steep upward trajectory.

Mantato made headlines earlier this season when former manager Rúben Amorim handed him his senior Premier League debut as a substitute during December’s hard-fought 1-1 draw against Wolves.

Following Amorim’s departure, Michael Carrick stepped in as interim boss, presenting Mantato with a fresh opportunity to impress a manager famously attuned to trusting youth. Unfortunately, that chapter will now have to wait until next season.

While the 2025/26 season has ended in deep frustration for Mantato, his overarching journey is only just beginning.