Manchester United head coach Ruben Amorim says he dropped Marcus Rashford and Alejandro Garnacho for the Manchester derby due to “selection” reasons rather than injury or illness.
The forwards were omitted from United’s 20-player matchday squad for their 2-1 victory over Manchester City at the Etihad Stadium.
Rashford played 56 minutes of Thursday’s 2-1 Europa League comeback win against Viktoria Plzen while Garnacho was introduced as an 81st-minute substitute.
But rather than feature against neighbours City in the Premier League, the pair instead trained at the team’s training ground on Sunday morning.
Asked to explain the decision to omit Rashford and Garnacho, United boss Amorim told Sky Sports: “Selection.
“We try to evaluate everything – training, performance, game performance, engagement with the teammates, push the teammates up.
“Everything is on the line when we analyse and try to choose the players, so it was my selection. Simple.
“I don’t want to send a message (to the dressing room with this). It’s simply an evaluation, and they know it.
Ruben Amorim has said he ‘pays attention to everything’
“The players are really, really smart and so everybody understands my decision and I have to choose. It’s just a simple selection.
“Of course the context is difficult – we have to win games and we have a difficult situation now.
“But, like I said, I pay attention to everything – the way you eat, the way you put on your clothes to go the game. Everything.
“I make my evaluation and then I have to decide. I have a lot of players to choose (from) and today I did my choice.”
A United source told the PA news agency that Garnacho’s absence has nothing do with allegations about team leaks, but his absence along with that of Rashford provides more questions than answers.
“It’s the same all the time and they all understand,” Amorim said of how the pair found out.
Man Utd results under Ruben Amorim
“There’s a communication that after the last training is going to the WhatsApp, and then they receive the information. But they are alright, they had training this morning.
“I was there because it’s important for every player… even Jonny Evans because Jonny Evans also (trained) and Toby (Collyer) was there and everything was OK. They trained really well.”
Following United’s victory, Amorim added: “It was nothing special. New week, new life. If they train well, they will compete for a place in the team, if they are better than the other guys in all the situations, inside and outside the pitch.
“They are really talented and we need Garna and Rash a lot. It was not a disciplinary thing. It’s just that we have to improve our standards. They will get used to this.”
Neville backs Amorim: ‘It’s a brutal, bold call’
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Gary Neville backs Ruben Amorim’s bold decision of dropping Alejandro Garnacho and Marcus Rashford for Man Utd’s win against Man City.
Sky Sports’ Gary Neville speaking on The Gary Neville Podcast:
“They’ve both been poor on the pitch. That’s a fact. And Amorim said the selection issue was down to performance and performance and engagement with teammates. That means if they’ve not been good in the group. That’s why they weren’t here.
“What he’s done is made a bold call.
“What he has to do is shake this club to its core. I’m a United fan tonight, and I’ve got a smile on my face because something’s happened that I never expected.
“I had no faith or trust in these players to come here today and win, even as bad as City are.
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“But Amorim has to make even more bold decisions, because there are a lot of players in that squad who are not good enough to get Amorim where he wants to be and keep him in a job.
“Don’t think for one second over the next few years that the players that have won you this game today are going to be able to win you games and get you to where you need to be to keep you in a job, because the others in the past have been conned by finishing second, winning a FA Cup, and they’ve lost their jobs eventually.
“What he needs to do is get a group of players who can fit with his idea. We know his idea, we’ve seen that now. It’s the 3-4-3, he plays the two narrow off the striker, he plays the two in midfield sitting, and he plays the two wing-backs with the three at the back.
“He needs to make sure he’s brutal with it, really brutal. And he’s been brutal today. I mean, the easy thing to do would be to put them on the bench and not let the press ask questions.
But he’s taken the really difficult choice, which has paid off because he’s won, and those two are sat at home. I think he’ll double down now, and realise spirit, togetherness, team ethic is more important than anybody with talent.
“The reason that I stayed at that club for 19 years, and that John O’Shea stayed for a long time, and Nicky Butt, Wes Brown, Tom Cleverley, Darren Fletcher, was because of spirit.
“Honestly, you need everybody every day to run as hard as they possibly can and do everything that they can. That’s what Manchester City have done for the last four or five years, with quality as well. But the work ethic has been poor from Garnacho and Rashford.
“We’ve watched them in those two wide positions for two, three seasons, not running back, thinking that they can play the game without putting the work in.”
Keane: Rashford omission not a surprise
Alejandro Garnacho and Marcus Rashford were left out of the Manchester derby
Sky Sports‘ Roy Keane said of Alejandro Garnacho and Marcus Rashford’s omissions: “It is a big call.
“He has obviously seen something he doesn’t like. But for those who have watched Manchester United recently, it’s not a big surprise because both players have been poor. He has said ‘Enough is enough’.
“It’s a big call, but I like to see it – he has put down a marker. A move for Marcus [Rashford] would suit the player – a new challenge for him. He’s been there a long time. When you’re at a big club and your attitude is not right – and it hasn’t been great recently – sometimes it’s good to part ways.”
Micah Richards added: “It’s sad for a local boy in Rashford who is supposed to be the talisman for this team… to see the way his career has materialised over the last couple of years.
“We saw he had a couple of good seasons and thought now is the time for him to be the leader, and then now to not be involved in the derby you imagine he’s heartbroken.
“There’s a player in there but it can’t help that the manager is always changing. It’s a sad story for a player of that quality.
“It’s different for Rashford. He’s got the world on his shoulders. It seems to be like there’s a bigger problem than just football.”
