Bradley Carnell isn’t going to rush much-touted Union prospect Neil Pierre into action

Union fans have rightly heard a lot about Neil Pierre, the 17-year-old centerback prospect whose promotion to the first team was announced this week.

But for all the talent in his 6-foot-5 frame, he is not ready to be a regular starter yet – especially at a physically demanding position. Manager Bradley Carnell knows this as well as anyone, as new as he is, and made that clear Thursday.

“We know Neil has some good attributes, and we know he’s got a lot of good physical components to his game — that gives him a natural advantage right now,” he said. “We’d bring him along and [are] rewarding him in this process and giving him a look at what first-team soccer looks like. But I don’t want to throw too much weight, I don’t want to throw too much responsibility.”

Carnell believes in the philosophy that, as he put it, “if someone’s ready, they’re ready.” It’s why he was hired, and Jim Curtin’s reluctance to go as far in as Ernst Tanner wanted is why he was fired.

» READ MORE: Neil Pierre, perhaps the best centerback prospect in Union history, signs a first-team deal

There’s still a necessary level of prudence, though, and it applies to all the Union’s young prospects. So while Pierre will likely play in Friday’s 120-minute scrimmage against FC Cincinnati (5 p.m., free live streaming at philadelphiaunion.com), that won’t set the depth chart – especially because Ian Glavinovich will rest with a minor injury.

Nathan Harriel and Olivier Mbaizo also have knocks that will keep them sidelined.

“It’s still early days, and it’s a good game for us to give some guys some extended minutes now,” Carnell said. “We’ve got some foundations built up, some platforms, and we can go a little bit longer in our schematic of who we’re pushing and what we’re trying to do.”

After officially announcing Serbian midfielder Jovan Lukić's signing on Wednesday, the Union announced Frankie Westfield’s promotion to the first team on Thursday. Westfield, a Northeast Philly native, inked a deal that is guaranteed through 2028, with a team option for 2029.

“Frankie is a talented and versatile young defender,” Union sporting director Ernst Tanner said in a statement. “His ability to use both feet effectively allows him to impact the game on both sides of the field, and his role as Union II’s vice-captain last season makes us confident in his maturity and leadership potential on and off the field. We’re excited to see the contribution he’ll bring to the first team.”

» READ MORE: The Union trade Jack McGlynn to the Houston Dynamo

Carnell spoke at length about Lukić's potential. That was useful, considering the 23-year-old doesn’t have much of a résumé. He has played for Serbian youth teams, but at club level, the best league he’s been in is Austria’s first division.

Though Lukić was signed at the same time Jack McGlynn was traded, he isn’t a like-for-like replacement. He’s really a replacement for Leon Flach, the defensive-oriented midfielder who left as a free agent after last season.

“Jovan Lukić comes in as a ball-winning No. 6 [defensive midfielder] who can play both ways as well,” Carnell said. “He’s a really good character; he speaks English fluently so there’s no integration time there. He’s gelled in with the players perfectly, better than I even expected.”

Carnell hinted that the tactical setup might stay the diamond-shaped 4-4-2 that’s been the Union’s base formation the last few seasons. But he also hinted at a change to using two holding midfielders, which could have Lukić and Danley Jean-Jacques paired together.

“Working as a double-6 tandem in there, one needs to have the ball-winning ability, one has to be [in] the physical battle as well and then also bring some quality in the transition,” Carnell said. “Not afraid to to play vertical, not afraid to play forward and to start the attack.”

He also praised incumbent midfielder Jesús Bueno, who can play as a defensive or central midfielder, for working well in preseason and being “a great advocate of what we’ve been trying to do here.”

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