Ruben Amorim has addressed his decision to leave out Marcus Rashford from the Manchester United squad for the second consecutive game.
Rashford, along with Alejandro Garnacho, were excluded from the matchday selection to take on Manchester City on Sunday.
Amorim confirmed after the 2-1 win that the decision was not related to disciplinary reasons but added: “We have to push our standards incredibly high and for that they have to fight for a place in the team.”
Garnacho has been restored to the squad to take on Tottenham in the Carabao Cup quarter-final on Thursday evening, but Rashford is still absent.
The Manchester Evening News report that he has not travelled to north London due to ‘selection‘ reasons and was fit to play.
Speaking ahead of the game, Amorim confirmed to Sky Sports: “Selection. I chose the players I felt were ready to cope with the demands of playing a strong game. I try to visualise all week and then choose my players. Just selection.
“It’s always the same with every player [in terms of selection process]. Not just Marcus. In the end, I have to make a selection and I did it.”
Perhaps pointedly, he then said of Garnacho: “He is prepared to play the game. I really like the way he trained. It’s one more option for the offence.”
Earlier this week, Rashford gave a bombshell interview in which he said that he was ready for a ‘new challenge’.
He told Henry Winter: “When I leave, it’s going to be ‘no hard feelings’. You’re not going to have any negative comments from me about Manchester United. That’s me as a person.
“When I leave I’ll make a statement and it will be from me.”
The Daily Mail’s Mike Keegan then reported that Rashford had been sent home from training on Monday after displaying a high temperature. Amorim did not reference this illness as a factor in his pre-match interview before the Spurs clash.
The Portuguese boss said on Tuesday: “We have one more training but it’s the same as the other players. If they train well, then I have to make a choice. We’ll see at the end of training. I expect the best of each player every day so we will see after training.”
Featured Image Credit: Getty / Sky Sports
Topics: Ruben Amorim, Marcus Rashford, Alejandro Garnacho, Manchester United