"Just the beginning" - Luis Suarez sends message to Manchester United attacker who impressed on international duty
Luis Suarez lavished praise on Facundo Pellistri after the Manchester United youngster starred for Uruguay on Saturday (September 9).
Pellistri dazzled for La Celeste as they beat Chile 3-1 in a 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifier. The Red Devils winger played 71 minutes for Marcelo Bielsa's side, winning four of eight ground duels, making one key pass and attempting two shots.
The 21-year-old earned his 13th international cap for Uruguay and caught the eye of many, including his compatriot Suarez. The Liverpool and Barcelona legend reacted to Pellistri's performance with a message on Instagram:
"Facu congratulations on the game. (Continue, as) it's just (the beginning)."
Uruguay ran out 3-1 winners courtesy of goals from Nicolas de la Cruz (2) and Federico Valverde. Arturo Vidal hit back for Chile, but Bielsa's men deserved their win, with Pellistri impressing.
Manchester United fans will be enthused by his performance, and he could be playing himself into Erik ten Hag's plans at Old Trafford. He has made two substitute appearances this season, amounting to 18 minutes worth of action.
Pellistri will be gunning for more first-team opportunities for United as he continues to be a prominent member of the Uruguay squad. His national team teammate Ronald Araujo alluded to that last year:
“I think Facundo Pellistri is surprising. ... Especially since he hadn’t been playing. And more because of the level that he gave in the national team, that he was spectacular."
There were question marks over Pellistri's future during the summer with a potential loan move being weighed up, per The Athletic. Sheffield United and FC Twente were among the clubs interested in the Red Devils winger.
However, Manchester United boss Ten Hag held talks with the Uruguay international and informed him that he wanted Pellistri to continue his development at Old Trafford.
Erik ten Hag feels Jadon Sancho's situation at Manchester United has been blown out of proportion
Ten Hag omitted Jadon Sancho from Manchester United's matchday squad for their 3-1 defeat to Arsenal on September 3. The Red Devils boss said that the English winger's snub was due to his underperformance in training,
Sancho hit back at those claims, though, with a post on X (formerly Twitter). He responded that he was made a scapegoat and that he had trained well. That led to a media hellstorm, with many debating whether the 23-year-old's United career was coming to an end. Others hit out at Ten Hag for going public with his issues regarding the player's training performance.
The Mirror reports that Ten Hag feels that the situation has been blown out of proportion. Moreover, the Dutch coach wants to resolve the issue and allow Sancho the opportunity to prove that he deserves a place in the team.
Sancho has lacked form since joining Manchester United from Borussia Dortmund in 2021 for £73 million. He has managed just 12 goals and six assists in 82 games across competitions. Ten Hag has only handed him three substitute appearances this season, amounting to 76 cumulative minutes of action.