Forgotten Manchester United man shines in stellar international display amid transfer uncertainty
He left Man Utd on loan in the January transfer window but has just reminded them of his talents.
Manchester United winger Facundo Pellistri shone for Uruguay last night as they thumped Mexico in a 4-0 friendly win.
The 22-year-old netted his first international goal in the comfortable win, while he also provided an assist in what was ideal preparation for this summer's Copa America tournament.
Marcelo Bielsa's side shocked Mexico with three first-half goals and struck again shortly after the restart to seal a comprehensive victory. It was a wonderful night in particular for the forgotten United man, who spent the second-half of last season on loan with La Liga side Granada.
Pellistri scored the second goal of the night when he drifted into a central area and met a cross with a low effort that was fortunate to squeeze beneath the Mexican goalkeeper. He then turned provider when he raced through on goal and took the ball beyond the 'keeper before selflessly setting up Liverpool ace Darwin Nunez for a hat-trick.
It was a timely reminder of Pellistri's talents ahead of a summer in which he could finally leave the club as United look to cash in on periphery figures and raise vital funds for reinvestment. Although he has only played 24 times for United, the young winger has already made 19 international appearances and has been labelled by Bielsa as one of the key figures for the national team going forward.
Last year, Pellistri hailed the former Leeds United coach for his transformation of the national side. “Bielsa’s strongest idea is intensity, pressing high, having the team very close together, so that from the outside you can see a compact team, eager to win and go to pressure and play as equals on any court and against any rival," he said.
"Whoever plays is going to do well. On that side we are not so focused [opposition injuries], we are more focused on the work that we have to do, and whoever has to play for Colombia will be seen, but we are focused on our work.
“He is a coach who really likes to talk individually, he makes it very clear to us what he wants. He shows us the mistakes we have and helps us see things because many times one does not stop to think about those details.
"He wants me to hit behind the defenders' backs and shows me well where I should hit. He also tells me about the importance of knowing how to attack spaces without the ball and having the dynamics to look for the backs of rival defenders.”