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Manchester United crashed out of the Europa League after a humiliating 3-0 second leg defeat against Sevilla at the Estadio Ramón Sánchez Pizjuán on Thursday.
Bruno Fernandes missed the fixture through suspension and the Red Devils struggled without their talisman, mustering just 3 shots on target despite having a majority of the ball.
Marcel Sabitzer started in his place, looking to excel in the no. 10 role once more after his brace against the Spaniards in the first leg, but he was unable to repeat his Old Trafford heroics in Seville.
The Austrian was signed on deadline day in January, after an injury to Christian Eriksen forced United to desperately scour the market for midfield options.
Another recourse, which was genuinely considered by the 20-time-English champions, was to rescind young Hannibal Mejbri’s loan spell at Birmingham City.
The Red Devils would ultimately decide against recalling the young Tunisian from what has been a very productive loan outing in the Midlands, choosing instead to sign Sabitzer on a temporary deal from Bavarian giants, Bayern Munich.
Hannibal, however, continues to impress for the Blues.
The Tunisian international has been deployed in multiple roles in midfield and attack, racking up over 35 appearances in the Championship, which includes 20 starts.
Blues manager John Eustace labelled Hannibal as “unplayable” after the 20-year-old scored his first senior goal in a 2-0 victory against rivals West Bromwich Albion in February, helping his side to their first double over their neighbours since 1998-99.
Despite not being a regular starter, Hannibal has still managed to accrue 6 assists for City in all competitions, once again demonstrating his innate ability to make a difference in the final third, something he shares in common with the likes of Eriksen and Fernandes.
His aggression and commitment continue to define him as a player, however, with his famous cameo against Liverpool in a 4-0 defeat last season still fresh in everyone’s memories.
Gary Neville was effusive in his praise for a teenage Hannibal on that day, saying:
“It takes a young kid to come on and show the rest of them how to sprint for the ball and put a challenge in.
“I’m actually proud of him! Maybe he doesn’t like the idea of Liverpool players passing it round him. I wish the rest of them were the same.”
Mejbri continued to live up to his reputation in Birmingham City’s recent league win against Millwall, according to The Daily Mirror.
Introduced as a 79th minute substitute as the Blues sought a way to see out an improbable win against the high flying Lions, Hannibal grabbed the headlines in stoppage time as he evaded multiple flying tackles, helping run the clock down before winning a free-kick.
He proceeded to raise his arms in the air and clench his fists in the direction of the Birmingham fans, before turning to the notoriously hostile Den and riling the home fans by repeating the gesture.
Following the incident, Hannibal was reportedly ‘pelted with missiles’, as the commentator on the night rightly noted: “He is that kind of player…(he’s) getting the crowd going.”
Having matured into a complete midfielder who is not afraid of mixing up his technical elegance with a combative approach to the game, Hannibal will undoubtedly remain one of the key men for John Eustace’s side, as they look to avoid the drop to League One, come the month of May.
If he continues his progress, the youngster could yet open the door to first team proceedings at Old Trafford next term.
