Man Utd hint at Phil Jones role this season as they name forgotten man in official 25-man Premier League squad
MANCHESTER UNITED have named forgotten defender Phil Jones in their Premier League squad for the 2021-22 season.
The 29-year-old former England international has not featured for the Red Devils since January 2020.
But that has not stopped Ole Gunnar Solskjaer from picking him in their squad for the upcoming campaign.
However, Jones faces a great deal of competition in the centre-back position at Old Trafford.
Harry Maguire, Victor Lindelof and Eric Bailly are all set to remain above him in the pecking order, along with their high-profile new signing Raphael Varane.
Man Utd have named 33 players in their Premier League squad, rather than 25.
That's because the eight players aged under 21 - a crop which features stars Jadon Sancho and Mason Greenwood - does not count towards the total.
The other youngsters are Amad Diallo, Anthony Elanga, Hannibal, Shola Shoretire, Teden Mengi and Matej Kovar.
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The returning Cristiano Ronaldo has been named in Man Utd's Premier League squad for the first time since he left the club at the end of the 2008-09 season.
United also have four goalkeepers - David De Gea, Dean Henderson, Tom Heaton and Lee Grant - in the squad.
A whopping 17 players in the squad also count as homegrown.
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But the squad is not set in stone as clubs are still permitted to add any under 21 players during the season.
And there is also the opportunity to make changes to squads during the January transfer window.
Full squad (* indicates players under 21):
- David De Gea
- Victor Lindelof
- Eric Bailly
- Phil Jones (homegrown)
- Harry Maguire (homegrown)
- Paul Pogba (homegrown)
- Cristiano Ronaldo
- Juan Mata
- Anthony Martial
- Marcus Rashford (homegrown)
- Mason Greenwood (homegrown)*
- Lee Grant (homegrown)
- Jesse Lingard (homegrown)
- Amad*
- Fred
- Bruno Fernandes
- Raphael Varane
- Diogo Dalot
- Edinson Cavani
- Tom Heaton (homegrown)
- Luke Shaw (homegrown)
- Jadon Sancho (homegrown)*
- Dean Henderson (homegrown)
- Alex Telles
- Aaron Wan-Bissaka
- Nemanja Matic
- Donny van de Beek
- Anthony Elanga (homegrown)*
- Scott McTominay (homegrown)
- Teden Mengi
- Hannibal*
- Shola Shoretire (homegrown)*
- Matej Kovar (homegrown)*
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