Benjamin Mendy made his Manchester City comeback as Manchester United edged closer to relegation from Premier League 2 in front of Jose Mourinho.
Mendy played 45 minutes at the City Football Academy after seven months out with a cruciate knee ligament injury. It was low key, a couple of surging forays forward and thumping tackles indicating true fitness may not be far away.
Yet this was a night to evaluate United’s Under 23s and the likely drop from a division with such fierce debate surrounding it. Pep Guardiola simply doesn’t value its existence, believing “B” teams lower down the pyramid are the answer to the issue of talented youngsters plateauing.