In case you didn’t know, Bastian Schweinsteiger has absolutely no chance of clawing his way back into Jose Mourinho’s plans at Old Trafford.
The veteran midfielder has been reduced to no more than a very expensive ornament that’s simply collecting dust at Manchester United this season.
The former German international has yet to feature for Mourinho and likely never will but, as we learned from a heartbreaking image on Wednesday night, Schweinsteiger will continue to support the side unconditionally.
Still a class act… https://t.co/qTUyRaNeiF
— FootballJOE (@FootballJOE) October 26, 2016
Manchester United tweeted out their 2016/17 squad photo on Thursday morning, after claiming victory over arch-rivals Manchester City in the EFL Cup, and it comes as the latest pinch of salt in Schweinsteiger’s wound.
The former World Cup and Champions League winner clearly didn’t get the call to appear alongside his teammates as he is nowhere to be seen in the squad.
Manchester is Red! 🔴
Get your 2016/17 #MUFC squad photo wallpaper: https://t.co/UiEq6IEu0x pic.twitter.com/ZjOLhJnDpe
— Manchester United (@ManUtd) October 27, 2016
Schweinsteiger wasn’t the only notable absentee from the picture as it was also interesting to see the distinct lack of FA Cup in the photo.
Typically, teams show off the trophies that they are defending in squad photos but the FA Cup, won by United in a 2-1 victory over Crystal Palace in May, was not included alongside the Community Shield.
Who knows? Perhaps Louis van Gaal crammed it into his bag on his final day, the same way that you might snatch a stapler on your way out the door of your workplace.
Henrikh Mkhitaryan can consider himself lucky to have got the shout, as can Phil Jones, and Mourinho was never going to leave out his backroom staff of Rui Faria, Silvino Louro, Carlos Lalin, Emilio Alvarez, Ricardo Formosinho and Gary Walker.
Perhaps United thought they could get both omissions past their supporters but, apparently, fans of the Red Devils are quite the observant bunch.
@ManUtd where the fucking hell is Schweinsteiger. This is stupid now
— Nuera (@DJ_Nuera) October 27, 2016
@ManUtd Where’s the FA Cup?
— Dominic Hastings (@ThisIsTheDom) October 27, 2016
@ManUtd I ain’t approve this. Where the hell is Schweinsteiger.
— salvatore (@zainalfizi) October 27, 2016
@ManUtd FA CUP and Bastian ?
— Ramke (@Tuzla075) October 27, 2016
@ManUtd Hey, erm… Where’s @BSchweinsteiger ?
— Sofrie Yusoff (@SofrieYusoff) October 27, 2016
@ManUtd Where’s the FA Cup?
— Josh. (@Josh_MUFC_) October 27, 2016
@ManUtd @BSchweinsteiger is missing
— Mihir Kothari (@Mihir_kothari__) October 27, 2016
@ManUtd have you lost the FA Cup????
— Tony Barras (@tonybarras) October 27, 2016
@ManUtd @iamscholes Where’s the FA cup. That’s what I want to know.
— I am Paul Kelly. (@PaulK1966) October 27, 2016
@ManUtd where the fuck is basti??
— 이카 ieka. (@iekadurrani) October 27, 2016
@ManUtd why there’s no FA Cup trophy at Squad photos?
— Aldion Biran F. (@dionfachrezy) October 27, 2016
@ManUtd you forgot the FA cup and schweinsteiger
— Jack Loomie (@LoomieJ17) October 27, 2016
@ManUtd don’t include the fa cup then you spastics
— Devils_Daily (@United_east) October 27, 2016
@ManUtd No Schweinsteiger, no party.
— Conor Maguire (@CMaguireMUFC) October 27, 2016
