Despite all of the enthusiasm surrounding Chido Obi’s recent elevation to the first team of Manchester United, neither academy staff nor first team head coach Ruben Amorim were unaware that he would eventually need to drop back down.

Not because there was a problem. Not at all. He simply needs more playing time than the senior-level cameos that are currently available to him.

He has played 78 minutes for United’s first team in the league and FA Cup since taking on Chelsea in this competition at the beginning of February. As the primary man, he would have to travel more than 120 minutes here.

The tournament’s best scorer was leading the line for United’s Under-18s once again after missing the FA Youth Cup quarterfinal matchup against his old team, Arsenal.

Amorim confirmed Mail Sport’s exclusive report on Chido’s Youth Cup inclusion on Monday, saying, “We are trying to manage everything and Chido needs to play also, so we are helping the team and the player.”

We try to visualize the game where we have to give the child minutes. We want to construct something with the young people and win that competition.

Obi’s desire to place an early marker was evident from the off as the away end called his name. You felt that there was a sense of urgency to set a goal for himself.

Twelve minutes into the game, he opened up to curl one on his right foot after nicking the ball from Aston Villa captain Aidan Borland on the box’s edge.

To the booing of the home crowd, only the strike curled high and over the bar into the rear of Holte End.

After referee Ross Martin blew up for a questionable foul on Villa goalkeeper Sam Proctor from Gabriele Biancheri, he had the ball in the net six minutes later. You would think Obi would convert the close-range finish, but once more, he was left feeling dissatisfied.

The violence with which Villa’s defenders treated Obi was evident; they doubled up on him when he touched the ball during the half-turn and pulled his shirt when they knew they could do it out of the referee’s sight.

Obi was able to be the bully in the last three games he played, including hat-tricks against Chelsea and goals in each of the games agains

Regarding Obi, academy director Nick Cox told Mail Sport last week that “he’s in a good place at the moment.”

Both training with the first team and a few off-the-field possibilities have been available. Let’s face it, though, there have been some injuries and squad disruptions.

The trick is to just keep checking in on a player’s progress on a frequent basis. There are always unforeseen circumstances because you see Kobbie [Mainoo] switch teams before he was finally accepted and Alejandro [Garnacho] was somewhat the same.

As was typically the case, Obi had opportunities in the second half. Using his right foot on the box’s edge and a header that struck the post with ten minutes remaining, one went wide of the far post.

He was crushed in an aerial fight and had a chance in the six-yard box on the slide from Jaydan Kamason’s cross in extra time, but there was still time for a booking before the ninety minutes were up.

As a result of Villa’s assiduous and muscular defense, he was ultimately shut out for the first time this season.

Nevertheless, Amorim, Cox, and Co. were correct to invite him because this was still a learning evening. These kinds of nights are ultimately more important than a City Ground observing brief.