The curious case of Manchester United’s big money summer signing, Henrikh Mkhitaryan, continues to flummox with reports suggesting that the player trained alone after the frustrating home draw with strugglers Burnley on Saturday.
The Daily Mail reports:
Henrikh Mkhitaryan leaves Manchester United’s Aon Complex alone as Armenian remains on the fringes of Jose Mourinho’s squad
Henrikh Mkhitaryan trained alone at Manchester United’s Aon Complex
There is nothing particularly strange about training on your own for improved fitness.
But the overall treatment of the player since he joined Manchester United has been odd to say the least.
Signed for £27m the Armenian international had a shocker against Manchester City in September and hasn’t been seen in the first team since.
TFF fully expected him to at least be in the squad for the Burnley game and surely he would have been a better weapon off the bench than any of the substitutes that were used. Marouane Fellaini and Memphis Depay did nothing to further Manchester United’s cause on Saturday while Wayne Rooney missed the target from a straightforward chance 15 yards out.
It’s obviously a marathon not a sprint. But with the player now fully fit, much more time out of the squad and questions will be asked about whether he will be moved on as early as January.
Mkhitaryan was voted the Bundesliga player of the year last season and scored 23 goals in 51 games.