As he is under 16, Gabriel would have had to be included in UEFA’s ‘A’ list in United’s squad, so when he wasn’t named in that group, a debut against the Azerbaijan outfit was off the cards. He is yet to make a matchday squad in the Premier League so far this season, although that isn’t particularly surprising, and he only played eight minutes in six pre-season games.

United have shown Gabriel a pathway to the first team, however, and he has trained under Ruben Amorim and Michael Carrick. He had been told he was going to be in the squad for the fixture against Brighton.

The question now is whether he will ever make a first-team appearance for the club. Barcelona have pushed the boat out to try and win over Gabriel and his family, while Chelsea are keen to take the London-born youngster back to the capital. Real Madrid have also been credited with an interest.

Gabriel can’t leave to join another Premier League club until the end of this season if United don’t tear up his contract, but because he qualifies for an Irish passport, he is eligible to sign for a European club when he turns 16 on October 6.

The club are investigating whether they will be powerless to stop that happening next month, with the rules on the issue unclear. There is a fear that past precedents suggest Gabriel could exploit a loophole to walk away and join Real , Barcelona, or another club on the continent. Such a move would require FIFA approval.

Despite that, United haven’t given up hope of keeping Gabriel and high-level talks are taking place to try and resolve the issue. Not everybody in the industry is convinced he will leave Old Trafford.

One club that could be seen as a destination for the teenager believes the saga will end with him signing a contract to stay at United, and the timing has raised some eyebrows.

Gabriel can sign scholarship terms with the club on his 16th birthday, and the club were planning to begin talks over a deal on October 6. That could also include a pre-contract agreement for a professional deal on his 17th birthday. An enlarged offer could always smooth over relations.

Unless the player and his camp are certain that the EU loophole will allow them to leave the club, the decision to refuse to train and to ask to leave comes at a curious time.

While nobody can doubt there is frustration among those around the player at how the start of the season has panned out, United were never going to agree to the request to tear up his registration and let a generational talent walk into the arms of a rival for nothing and without a fight.

It’s worth bearing in mind that United have already invested considerable time and resources in developing Gabriel, and even if he decides not to stay, they would want the maximum compensation they can get. That won’t happen if they were to let him become a free agent.

If the issue remains at a stalemate, then Gabriel risks wasting a season of his career at a vital age for his development and at a time when he was close to forcing his way into the first-team squad. That would be a call fraught with ramifications for his camp and would inevitably slow his progress.

The next date to keep an eye on in what has become an unwanted distraction for United is this Friday, when the Under-21s face Brentford at Leigh Sports Village. Alternatively, United could try and placate Gabriel and his camp with a place in the squad for Sunday’s Premier League trip to Fulham.