With the international break underway, League One entered a two-week pause.
The players called up by their national teams left to represent their countries, leaving only those without international duty to train alongside several youngsters promoted from the academy.
Unlike in Ethan's previous life, Ribéry was no longer an unknown at this stage of his career. His performances for New Manchester United had earned him a call-up to the France Under-21 squad.
Evra was in the same position and had also been selected for France Under-21s.
Cristiano Ronaldo joined Portugal's Under-21s, while Philipp Lahm was already captaining Germany at youth international level.
De Rossi and Chiellini were called up by Italy's youth teams as well.
All of them had demonstrated their ability at New Manchester United, improved considerably, and earned international recognition as a result.
Robben had also been outstanding since joining the Red Rebels. However, the Netherlands already possessed considerable strength in the wide positions, so for the moment he remained with the youth setup.
A senior call-up was surely only a matter of time.
Čech, the Touré brothers, Essien, Hleb, Drogba, and Kaká were all selected by their respective national teams and also left Newton Heath for international duty.
The usually bustling training complex suddenly became unusually quiet.
Only a handful of first-team players remained, accompanied by youngsters such as Messi and Ishmael.
Messi had already lived in England for five years, and the club was actively assisting him with an application for British citizenship.
There had been considerable outside pressure for him to choose England and eventually represent the national team.
Messi, however, remained determined to play for Argentina.
At the same time, calls were growing in Argentina for him to be selected for their youth teams despite being only fifteen.
His ability was already far beyond what people expected from someone his age.
Since arriving in England, Messi had benefited from years of structured training at Newton Heath.
Unlike in Ethan's previous life, he had also avoided the growth-hormone treatment that had been necessary during his original development.
His physical condition was therefore excellent.
He was still relatively short, but his technique and acceleration were devastating weapons, while his finishing ability had also developed rapidly.
From what Ethan remembered, Messi's technical level at this age was already comparable to that of his counterpart from his previous life.
Physically, however, he appeared stronger and quicker.
That made him even better suited to English football.
More importantly, Messi had grown up inside New Manchester United's system.
Few players understood the club's footballing principles better than he did.
Alongside Messi, Ishmael was another academy striker attracting widespread attention.
At fifteen, he had scored thirty-two goals in twenty-eight youth-league matches the previous season against academies including Manchester United.
He had been the outstanding player in the competition.
Ishmael was tall but unusually agile technically.
He possessed exceptional pace and explosive power, while his finishing had improved considerably.
Together, those qualities made him one of the most highly regarded young strikers in the country.
This season, both Ishmael and Messi had begun appearing regularly for the reserves.
After eleven reserve-league matches, Ishmael had already scored ten goals.
Messi had eight goals and four assists.
They were unquestionably the two brightest prospects in New Manchester United's academy.
Several major European clubs were monitoring both players and had made substantial offers in an attempt to lure them away from Newton Heath.
The Red Rebels rejected every approach.
Both youngsters had already agreed professional contracts with the club, which would take effect when they turned sixteen.
At that point, they were also expected to begin moving gradually towards the first team.
Even so, they were still extremely young.
No matter how talented they were, New Manchester United had no intention of placing too much responsibility on them too soon.
Robben's situation had provided another reminder of the dangers involved in overworking young players.
Ethan had already reached an agreement with Mourinho and the sports science department.
Young players would be handled with exceptional care.
Using them excessively before their bodies had fully developed could create problems that followed them throughout their careers.
Nevertheless, the emergence of Messi and Ishmael had created enormous excitement around the Red Rebels' academy.
Everyone knew Newton Heath contained an extraordinary collection of young talent.
And almost every major club in Europe wanted a piece of it.
...
Ethan arrived at the training complex with Eva.
He had spent seven days in hospital and felt as though his entire body had stiffened from lying in bed.
Friends had also been visiting constantly.
Although Ethan appreciated their concern, he disliked the idea of people interrupting their own schedules simply to sit beside his hospital bed.
So he discharged himself.
After another two or three days resting at home, he felt considerably better.
Then the boredom became unbearable.
He asked Eva to drive him to Newton Heath.
He wanted to see the team.
When Ethan's bright red Red Rebels sports car, decorated with its distinctive green and gold detailing, appeared at the main gate, the elderly security guard immediately opened it.
He even left the guardhouse to greet Ethan personally.
The man had visited him in hospital as well.
In his eyes, Ethan had always been remarkably unassuming for someone so wealthy and influential, particularly in the way he treated older members of staff.
The sports car stopped in the car park.
Accompanied by Eva, Ethan first visited the administrative offices and dealt with several matters before heading towards the training pitches.
The first-team area was empty.
Everyone who had remained behind was training alongside the academy players, including Juninho and the handful of senior players without international commitments.
Ethan stood beside the pitch and immediately noticed the tall young striker.
Džeko's technique was impressive.
He was active, moved reasonably quickly for his size, and looked comfortable with the ball.
However, his understanding with his new teammates was still developing.
"His technique is excellent," Eva commented.
She had watched enough football by now to recognise obvious quality.
Ethan smiled.
"Villa grew up in Spain. Excellent technique is hardly surprising.
"But Džeko's touch is very good as well. Quite refined, actually.
"It's easy to see why he began as a midfielder."
Džeko had clearly not yet adapted completely to the new role New Manchester United had chosen for him.
In particular, he still did not know how to make full use of his size and strength.
His heading also needed considerable work.
What could not be questioned was his effort.
He worked relentlessly throughout the session.
Besides Villa and Džeko, Ethan noticed several other academy players.
Rodwell was playing at centre-back.
Wilshere operated further forward in midfield.
Walcott was also involved.
Against experienced players such as Villa and Juninho, the youngsters naturally held little advantage.
But none of them appeared afraid to attempt things or make mistakes.
Walcott was particularly interesting.
On several occasions, he produced skilful dribbles that Ethan had rarely associated with him in his previous life.
"I didn't know he had that in him."
Ethan laughed.
Then he reconsidered.
Perhaps it was not so strange after all.
In his previous life, Walcott had developed at clubs that placed less emphasis on technical refinement.
At New Manchester United, however, he was being coached from childhood by specialists such as Meulensteen and Moniz.
Every academy player received intensive work on technique.
They were never going to become a copy of Barcelona's academy, nor did Ethan want them to.
But their basic technical level would still be far more polished than that of most traditional English youth players.
The thought filled him with anticipation.
If Walcott could retain his extraordinary speed while developing refined, agile technique from an early age, then perhaps he really could grow into something resembling a second Henry.
...
After the scheduled training match ended, the players were given a short break.
The coaches and players had already noticed Ethan standing beside the pitch.
They immediately gathered around him and began asking about his injuries.
Ethan thanked everyone for their concern.
He assured them that he was recovering well and could already walk normally.
The injuries had not completely healed, but everything should soon return to normal.
He also encouraged the players who had not received international call-ups.
If they continued performing well, he told them, their opportunities would eventually come.
Ethan then made a point of speaking privately with Džeko.
He asked how the youngster was adapting to Manchester and whether his family had settled with him.
When he learned that Džeko's family remained in Bosnia and Herzegovina, Ethan immediately offered to help bring them to Manchester.
Džeko was deeply grateful.
In the distance, Cassell blew his whistle.
The players immediately returned to training.
"How is Džeko doing, José?" Ethan asked with a smile.
Mourinho smiled back.
"Very well.
"But he isn't ready for the first team yet.
"You know how fierce the competition already is between Drogba, Villa, and Palacio.
"And we still have Ishmael coming through the academy.
"My plan is to bring Ishmael and Messi into the first-team environment next season.
"They'll train with us regularly and receive opportunities when circumstances allow."
Ethan considered the answer and quickly understood Mourinho's thinking.
In his previous life, Mourinho had lived almost like a travelling conqueror.
He moved from club to club, chasing challenges, trophies, and new battles.
Now things were different.
At New Manchester United, he genuinely wanted to build something unprecedented.
That required him to think years rather than months ahead.
While protecting the results of the first team, he had also begun paying close attention to the academy.
Young players needed opportunities above almost everything else.
If a club could not provide them, sooner or later they would begin looking elsewhere.
In Ethan's previous life, even players as deeply connected to Barcelona as Piqué and Fàbregas had left because they could not see an immediate path into the first team.
It was a problem every major club eventually faced.
Mourinho intended to give Messi and Ishmael that pathway.
Neither youngster could be relied upon heavily yet.
But allowing them to train with the senior squad and make occasional appearances from the bench would accelerate their development enormously.
Perhaps one of them would even seize an opportunity and establish himself sooner than expected, just as Curtis had done.
Even with a genius such as Messi, nobody could reasonably expect a fifteen-year-old to walk straight into the first team and become an undisputed starter.
His body had not finished developing.
Making him play every week would not demonstrate trust.
It would be negligence.
Even Cristiano Ronaldo and Robben, two exceptional young talents already in the senior squad, were not guaranteed starting places.
Messi would be treated the same way.
All of them needed protection.
New Manchester United wanted players capable of enjoying long and brilliant careers, not youngsters pushed into the starting eleven too early only to spend the rest of their lives fighting injuries.
Robben's career in Ethan's previous life was an obvious warning of what could happen when a gifted young player's body was repeatedly overloaded.
"You're the manager, José," Ethan said with a laugh.
"I trust you completely. Handle it however you think is best."
(To be continued.)