Forlan preaches patience with Pellistri
Former Manchester United striker Diego Forlan has backed his fellow Uruguayan Facundo Pellistri to break into the Reds' first team in the future.
Pellistri is currently on loan at Alaves in La Liga and is with the national team after gaining his first senior call-up for crucial World Cup qualifiers against Paraguay and Venezuela.
It will have provided a huge boost to the winger, who has made six starts for Alaves during his second stint with the club.
The wide man only turned 20 last month and Forlan, who was his manager for a spell at Penarol, insists he remains a long-term project with bags of potential.
"I think he’s adapting really well," Forlan told club media. "When they [United] talked to me about him, I told them everything – he has great potential as a player, good skills, is quick but still young.
"You know it’s not easy to arrive at a great club like Manchester United. I think being on loan at Alaves was good and now he had an opportunity to go back again. It’s a good opportunity for him, he’s still growing a little bit. In the future, he can have the opportunity to play for the first team at Manchester United."
Pellistri joined the Reds in October 2020 and had an impressive pre-season last year, scoring in the friendly victory against Derby County.
The youngster will hope to be involved, as will Edinson Cavani, when Uruguay face Paraguay on Thursday and Venezuela on the first day of February.
The team sit seventh in the South American qualifying table and will be coached by Diego Alonso, following the departure of the long-serving Oscar Tabarez.