Mourinho refuses to assure Martial, Rashford first-team places

MANCHESTER: Jose Mourinho has warned Anthony Martial and Marcus Rashford he can make no guarantees about regular first-team starts with Manchester United as speculation mounts over their respective futures at Old Trafford.Rashford has started just 30 of the 70 Premier League games in which Mourinho has been in charge in the Portuguese manager’s near-two seasons at the club.Meanwhile Martial appears to have dropped down United’s pecking order since the arrival of Alex Sanchez in the January transfer window, having failed to complete a full 90 minutes in the Premier League since the middle of February.That has led to speculation that either, or both, could seek a future away from the club and, while Mourinho refused to comment on that prospect, it is understood United are not keen to listen to offers for either player.However, Mourinho could do little to console the pair about their limited opportunities when he spoke at a news conference on Friday.“It is just football, we cannot have just 11 players,” he said. “It would be amazing economically for the football clubs to have only 11 and play with the same 11, no injuries, no suspension, no fatigue,” Mourinho said.“It would be better for everyone to have only 11 but is impossible. At every club and every level, from the top of the world to the amateur football clubs, you need more than 11 players and only 11 can start. It is as simple as that, there’s nothing I can do.“Only 11 can start so the same questions you are doing to me, you should do to every other manager because everyone has players in the same situation.”

from The News International - Sports https://ift.tt/2qwSrnB