According to reports in the Daily Mail, Manchester United attacking midfielder Henrikh Mkhitaryan faces a battle to force his way back into the team having been left out by Jose Mourinho in the last two matches, and it may have thrown his long-term future at Old Trafford into doubt.
What’s the word, then?
Well, the Daily Mail says that the Armenia international has missed out on the matchday squads to face Newcastle United in the Premier League and FC Basel in the Champions League despite being fully fit, suggesting that he has fallen out of favour with Mourinho.
The Daily Mail says the return of the likes of Zlatan Ibrahimovic, Paul Pogba and Marouane Fellaini may have pushed him down the pecking order, with his performances in recent weeks not up to the same standard that they were at the beginning of the campaign.
How has Mkhitaryan done this season?
As we alluded to previously, it has been something of a rollercoaster campaign for the 28-year-old.
He began the season as the first-choice in the No. 10 role in Mourinho’s preferred 4-2-3-1 formation, picking up five assists in the first three Premier League matches of the season.
However, he was substituted off early in the second-half in the goalless draw against Liverpool, the win against Tottenham and the defeat against Chelsea after failing to make an impact on the respective matches.
Does he still have a United future?
Considering the number of fixtures the Red Devils have this season with the Premier League, Champions League and various cups he will still get plenty of opportunities, but when the whole squad if fully fit he may be struggling to make the matchday 18 based on his performances over the course of the last couple of months.
Links to the likes of Arsenal’s Mesut Ozil and Atletico Madrid’s Antoine Griezmann suggest that Mourinho could be looking for a new option in the No. 10 role though, and it could spell the end for Mkhitaryan if one of those moves does happen.
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