Scott McTominay aiming to repay Manchester United's faith

Manchester United midfielder Scott McTominay is aiming to repay the faith bestowed upon him by manager Jose Mourinho this term. The teenager has been a regular in recent matchday squads, and he made just his second Premier League start during the 1-0 triumph over Bournemouth in midweek.

Speaking on MUTV, McTominay stressed that he can't take anything for granted at his age, and he has to earn the right to play for the first-team, he said: "That’s the main thing – I’ve said it previously that minutes are the most important thing for any young player, and every footballer wants to play, but you have to earn the right to play and come into the team. You have to earn trust from people like the manager and the coaching staff and, ultimately, if you can be trusted, you will play in these games."

McTominay is expected to lineup alongside Paul Pogba for the League Cup quarter-final versus Bristol City at Ashton Gate, and the young Scot feels the hosts are likely to be pumped up for the encounter owing to his splendid form in the Championship of late. Jose Mourinho has tended to adopt a tentative approach against most teams on the road, and it could come on to haunt them versus a Championship outfit, who are known for their goal scoring exploits.

Romelu Lukaku has been United's key goal scorer since the start of the season, but Mourinho could be prepared to bench the Belgian for the Cup game with Zlatan Ibrahimovic waiting in the wings. The Swede has been restricted to substitute appearances since his returning from a long-term knee setback, and the Bristol game could be the perfect time for his introduction from the starting line-up.

The likes of Arsenal, Manchester City, and Chelsea are also in the hunt for a semi-final spot, and we could potentially have one of the most exciting of Cup campaigns in a while. United have also made good progress in the Premier League this term, and they find themselves in second spot, 11 points behind Manchester City.