This must be an extremely frustrating scenario for everyone involved.
Henrikh Mkhitaryan would have hoped to start his Manchester United career in style, and show some of the form that earned him a £26.3m move from Borussia Dortmund.
The Armenian scored 11 times and created 15 goals last season in the Bundesliga. He has started just one game for United so-far, against Manchester City in September, was withdrawn at half-time, and hasn’t been seen in the first-team since.
It’s difficult enough moving to a new country and a new league without being frozen out of the team, but the player reportedly didn’t even travel to London with the United squad for Sunday’s 4-0 loss to Chelsea.
Mkhitaryan picked-up a thigh injury on international duty last month, but has overcome that injury and is reportedly on the sidelines because of fitness concerns from Jose Mourinho.
However, according to Mark Ogden, chief football correspondent for The Independent, concerns about the 27-year-old playmaker predate the arrival of Mourinho.
According to a report, United’s coaching staff voiced their worries about Mkhitaryan’s suitability for the physical demands of the Premier League to Mourinho’s predecessor, Louis van Gaal, as the deal for the player was been lined-up.
The Armenian is understood to be in-line for an appearance in the League Cup against Manchester City on Wednesday, but wasn’t included in the squads for the games against Fenerbahce and Chelsea last week.
Comparisons with Shinji Kagawa by key coaching figures at United will worry fans of the club.
Kagawa was a talented, skilful playmaker, signed from Dortmund after a wonderful season in 2012, but struggled with the physical demands of the Premier League and returned to his old club two years later.
Coaches at United, and Mourinho, are reportedly worried the same fate will befall Mkhitaryan. Luckily for Mkhitaryan, United aren’t playing well at the moment, and if he can prove his fitness in training, he should at least be given a chance to prove himself in the first-team.
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