Willy Kambwala handed senior debut for Manchester United vs West Ham | OneFootball

Manchester United travel to West Ham in search of a first win in three Premier League games. The Red Devils face a tough task at the London Stadium as injury issues have forced Erik ten Hag into handing young defender Willy Kambwala a senior debut in the competition.

The 19-year-old centre-back steps in to take the place of Raphael Varane from the line-up for the 0-0 draw at Anfield against Liverpool. United are currently without Varane, Lisandro Martínez, Harry Maguire, and Victor Lindelof - the top four in the pecking order when it comes to centre-halves at Old Trafford.

Luke Shaw has often filled in as a central defender, but the Englishman is required to play his natural left-back role due to Diogo Dalot's suspension after the Portuguese full-back's dismissal in the previous fixture.

Many top-flight clubs are facing injury issues throughout their squads, but United are entering emergency territory and could potentially be forced into making a move in the January transfer window should the current unavailability of key first-team players continue.

Willy Kambwala given Premier League debut

There is plenty of experience alongside him

The youngster will be guided along the way by veteran defender, Jonny Evans, in his Premier League curtain raiser. Evans was re-signed by the club in the summer transfer window on a free transfer from Leicester City, eight years after departing the Red Devils in 2015.

Despite the Foxes' relegation, a lot of the blame was taken off of Evans' shoulders as the Northern Ireland international spent the majority of the 2022/23 season on the treatment table. Initially signed as a last resort option, the 35-year-old will be making his 10th Premier League appearance of the campaign against the Hammers.

Shaw is also a vastly experienced defender in the English top-flight and Aaron Wan-Bissaka offers a lot of protection on the right-hand side of the back line. This means Kambwala should be able to feel more comfortable being thrust into the deep end, with the pros around him being more than capable of helping him through.

Ten Hag's side have been in very inconsistent form, making it increasingly difficult to predict which United side will turn up, particularly in away games. The youngster will have a tough task on his hands to keep the in-form Jarrod Bowen quiet. It is likely the Irons will look to target the young man's side of the defence.

Willy Kambwala: Man United's latest youth prospect

The 19-year-old will hope to make the most of his unexpected opportunity

The French centre-back was signed from Sochaux in October 2020 after he captained France's Under-16 team. An initial injury concern kept the newly acquired young player out of action before Kambwala broke into the youth team.

His first appearance in a matchday squad for the senior squad came in the aforementioned goalless draw against bitter rivals Liverpool, less than a week before making his competitive bow for United. Ten Hag has shown a lot of faith in the Frenchman by handing him the start instead of looking for alternative options such as Sofyan Amrabat filling in at the heart of the defence.

Kobbie Mainoo and Alejandro Garnacho are two other youth academy products that start the game against West Ham.