Henrikh Mkhitaryan finally reveals the reason for his Manchester United absence
Sep 29, 2016 at 11:26 AM
There were lots of speculations surrounding Henrikh Mkhitaryan’s absence from Manchester United squad. There were rumours that the Armenia international, who joined the Red Devils from Borussia Dortmund this season in a £26.3 million deal, was unhappy at Old Trafford after Jose Mourinho was not playing him at his favoured position.
The midfielder has so far played only 4 league games for United. He was handed his first start in the 2-1 defeat to Manchester City but was hauled off at half-time after a poor display. Reports were suggesting that Mkhitaryan was unhappy to play wide. He was willing to play as a number 10.
Since the Manchester derby, the 27-year old has remained on the sidelines with a thigh injury. United manager claimed that the player was out of the team because of injury. After registering an impressive 4-1 victory over defending champions Leicester City on Saturday, the Portuguese tactician said that Mkhitaryan was close to returning into action.
“I wouldn’t say injured but I would say not 100 percent,” said the United boss.
“When they are not 100 percent I always think this kind of difficult moment where you feel you have to win the match I prefer always to go with players who are 100 percent ready physically and the mental point of view.’
However, there were still some doubts about the midfielder absence but United boss can heave a sigh of relief now. Mkhitaryan took to Twitter to confirm the reason for his absence. He tweeted:“Really happy to have started training with team and I am on my way to getting fully fit!”
Really happy to have started training with team and I am on my way to getting fully fit! 🔜🔝 #mufc pic.twitter.com/n5mVLu0Y28
— Henrikh Mkhitaryan (@HenrikhMkh) September 28, 2016
Mourinho was using Wayne Rooney in number 10 position but the United skipper has been performing poorly. Rooney was dropped from the starting eleven in United’s last game against Leicester and after that impressive performance, it is highly unlikely that the England international will get a chance soon until he improves by leaps and bounds.
Rooney’s absence can be a blessing in disguise for the Red Devils as they can play Mkhitaryan at his natural position. Playing at that position Mkhitaryan was very impressive for Dortmund last season and was named the Bundesliga player of the season. He also found the back of the net on 23 occasions in all competitions. With United still looking to found their rhythm, a player with the calibre of Mkhitaryan can bring the much-needed impetus to the team.