Jose Mourinho explains Henrikh Mkhitaryan omission from Man Utd squad
Written by News on 15/01/2018
Jose Mourinho admitted he did not select Henrikh Mkhitaryan against Stoke because his concentration had been affected by transfer speculation.
The Manchester United boss omitted the attacking midfielder from his squad to face the Potters at Old Trafford on Monday night, live on Sky Sports.
Speculation over the Armenian’s future has been mounting since he out of favour at Old Trafford.
United’s pursuit of Alexis Sanchez has seen Mkhitaryan thrown into the equation, with the possibility of the playmaker heading to the Emirates in order to facilitate the deal.
Arsene Wenger has expressed an interest in the player, with the Gunners keen to receive the best possible deal for Sanchez, who is out of contract in the summer.
When asked prior to the match with Stoke about his decision not to select the midfielder, Mourinho was straightforward in his response and admitted the transfer speculation had played a part.
“I would lie if I said it was a pure tactical decision. It was just a choice of the players that we know, in this moment, they have 100 per cent their heads in Manchester United,’ said Mourinho.
“No doubts about the future. I don’t think it’s easy for a player to play when there are doubts about his future. It’s added pressure that a player doesn’t need, so I think it’s the best for him and for us, while the doubt is in the air, to protect him,” he added.
(c) Sky News 2018: Jose Mourinho explains Henrikh Mkhitaryan omission from Man Utd squad
