Manchester United manager Jose Mourinho claims players could leave in transfer window

Henrikh Mkhitaryan may have played his last game for Man Utd and Axel Tuanzebe could leave on loan in the January transfer window.

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Samuel LuckhurstChief Manchester United writer

07:00, 16 JAN 2018

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Jose Mourinho has suggested Henrikh Mkhitaryan and Axel Tuanzebe are the only Manchester United players who could leave this month.

Mkhitaryan was omitted from the squad against Stoke on account of 'doubts' over his future and amid speculation he could be included in a swap deal involving Arsenal forward Alexis Sanchez.

Tuanzebe, 20, has made just one start this season and Championship club Aston Villa are interested in signing the England Under-21 international on loan until the end of the season.

United sold Morgan Schneiderlin and Memphis a year ago before letting Bastian Schweinsteiger leave in March without reinforcing their squad and Mourinho was forced to promote Under-23 players as the injury list grew.

Mourinho suggested on Friday United would delay making a decision on Tuanzebe's future until the end of the January transfer window but on Monday night sounded more open to the possibility of Tuanzebe heading out on loan.

"I have a squad of 22 players and I want to keep squad of 22 players," Mourinho said. "Maybe just because I want to make the kid a good player and I'm not giving him the chances I'm giving to Scott McTominay, for example.

"Axel Tuanzebe plays in a position where I have so many players, today on the bench I had Marcos Rojo and Victor Lindelof, and Eric Bailly is still in recovery, so I'm not giving the chances to Axel.

"So probably Axel is the only one that I open the door for him to go and play because I believe he is a really good talent and he needs to play. Apart from that, the numbers we have, we are playing Champions League, FA Cup, Premier League, I have to keep the number of players we have.

"Is it possible he [Mkhitaryan]s going to be involved in the deal? It's possible. It's also possible he stays. I didn't select him (Mkhitaryan) today because I wanted players fully focused and I understand that with so much talk and so much speculation it is not easy for Mkhitaryan to play at home with this feeling, can happen, maybe doesn't happen.

"So I prefer to protect him and to protect the situation, and at the end of the transfer market if he stays here he is a very good player that season started this season very, very well and come a little bit down. But last season did amazing things for us, helped us to win the Europa League, being one of the most important players, so let's see what is going to happen.