Chido Obi to the rescue! Teenage striker's double against Hong Kong saves Man Utd from further embarrassment on post-season tour but tight win overshadowed by Bruno Fernandes exit talk

United's second game of their much-ridiculed tour of the Far East got off to a nightmare start when Juninho beat Tom Heaton at his near post to give Hong Kong the lead with their first shot of the game after a dominant start from United amid persistent rain. Bruno Fernandes and Alejandro Garnacho might have played their last games for the club in a frustrating first half in which Casemiro had a goal ruled out for offside. Ruben Amorim changed his entire starting XI for the second half and Obi dug them out of a hole, scoring twice before Ayden Heaven, his former team-mate at Arsenal, made sure of the victory in added time.

Hours before the game it emerged that Fernandes was seriously considering leaving United to sign for Al-Hilal. The captain still started the game and put on a smile as he posed for photos with fans as well as the opposition players. He was highly involved in the first half but spurned a great chance to score when he was one-on-one with the goalkeeper and opted for a rabona, being thwarted by the 'keeper.

After Hojlund had another hapless display in front of goal, Chido showed him how it's done with two well-taken goals. The goal machine at U18 level got his first senior strike for United by shooting on the turn and pulling off an emphatic finish. He then put United in front with a glancing header after a cross from Mason Mount. The gangly forward showed excellent throughout his 45 minutes on the pitch and was a real nuisance to the Hong Kong defence, rather unlike his fellow striker Hojlund.

No United goalkeeper can be proud of their performance this season and Heaton followed the lead of Andre Onana and Altay Bayindir with a howler of his own. Heaton let Juninho's low shot sneak through him and into the bottom corner to give Hong Kong the lead entirely against the run of play, with their first shot of the game. Heaton has been a long servant for United, beginning his career there as a youngster in the academy and then returning in 2021 after a journeyman career with 10 other clubs. But he has had terrible luck this season, getting injured along with Bayindir when he could have made his first appearance in the FA Cup for the club against Leicester at a time when Onana was struggling.

This was the second and final match of a post-season tour which has been a real ordeal for Amorim's side, not withstanding the encouraging end to the match and the excitement Chido generated. United played much better than they had done against ASEAN all stars but it was not exactly a convincing win against another side cobbled together just for their visit. There have been unsavoury moments off the pitch such as the verbal abuse faced by Amad Diallo and his obscene gesture in response, plus Garnacho pushing away a fan that got too close to him. And to cap it all there is an overwhelming sense that Fernandes is leaving. United's players must be glad that this sorry sojourn is over. Some of their players will now head off with their national teams while others will get a break at last. The team will meet up again for pre-season in July, meeting Leeds in Stockholm in their first friendly before embarking on their tour of the USA. But will Fernandes be with them?