You know times are tough when a 17-year-old striker, who has made just three senior appearances, being ineligible to play in Europe is considered as a blow for Manchester United.
Chido Obi is not an ordinary teenager - he has the potential to become a first-team star - but the reaction to Obi being available in the Europa League shows how much United are struggling.
The reality of their current situation means Obi missing out in Europe is probably a small blow. The youngster made a positive impact from the bench against Fulham in the FA Cup last Sunday and Ruben Amorim praised his performance, but he is clearly not ready to be starting games.
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Having said that, Obi provided some unpredictability in attack and he got into a few promising goalscoring positions when he was introduced in the 68th minute against Fulham.
Rasmus Hojlund and Joshua Zirkzee have 12 goals between them in all competitions this season. After a bright start, Hojlund regressed against Fulham and didn't look like scoring, which is why it was helpful to have another option, Obi, available on the bench for the sake of variety.
However, that option will be withdrawn for the upcoming Round of 16 tie against Real Sociedad in the Europa League because Obi was not added to United's squad for the competition.
United added January signings Patrick Dorgu and Ayden Heaven to their Europa League squad ahead of the knockout rounds, but Obi was not included and consequently can't feature.
Obi cannot be added to the Europa League squad B List - which usually allows young players from the academy to be added - because he does not fit the criteria, with UEFA rules stating that players must have been at the club for a minimum of two years to be included via that route.
Obi only trained with the first-team on recovery days when academy players are drafted into sessions until recently, and naming him in the Europa League squad wasn't considered.
Some have suggested United have made a huge mistake and shown a lack of foresight by not including Obi, but social media isn't exactly the go-to-destination for sensible opinions.
Although it would have been ideal for Obi to be available in Europe, as it would have been a great experience for him and provided another option from the bench, it's certainly not the end of the world and it's important that he isn't overexposed considering the stage of his development.
Obi is far from the finished article, just like every 17-year-old in any sport, and throwing him into the deep end too much could have a detrimental effect on his long-term development.
"If they are good enough, they are old enough," Sir Matt Busby once famously said, which has been proven true by decades of evidence, but it's easy to forget how young Obi actually is.
The striker only celebrated his 17th birthday at the end of November, meaning he's only been legally allowed to drive for just over three months. Amorim will be aware he can't overexpose Obi and the youngster being ineligible in the Europa League arguably protects the player.
If you look at Obi being unavailable with a 'glass half full' approach, you could argue his development won't be stunted by being involved in a potentially chastening Europa League tie.
Obi has the potential to be a first-team player for years to come. It is a shame that he won't be available on the bench in the Europa League knockout rounds, but it's not the mammoth blow that some might have you believe and he will continue to be in contention around Premier League squads.
