By Lori Ewing
MANCHESTER, England (Reuters) -Manchester United forwards Marcus Rashford and Alejandro Garnacho were not included in Ruben Amorim’s squad for Sunday’s derby against Manchester City in a bold move by the new boss.
“We try to evaluate everything — training performance, game performances, engagement with team mates, push their team mates. Everything is on the line when we analyse and try to choose the players. It is my selection. Simple,” Amorim told Sky Sports before kick-off.
“Of course the context is difficult because we have to win games and we have a difficult situation now. I pay attention to everything — the way you eat, the way you put on your clothes to go to a game. Everything. I make my evaluation and then I decide.”
Rashford and Garnacho had both trained on Sunday morning, said Amorim, who was there to watch.
Rashford has fallen short of rediscovering the form that saw him score 30 goals across all competitions in the 2022-23 season.
While he has had three goals since Amorim took charge a month ago, he was taken off in the 56th minute of Thursday’s 2-1 Europa League victory over Viktoria Plzen, with club supporters booing the striker as he left the pitch.
Amorim said last month that he was keen to help Rashford rediscover his top form, but that the player had to “want it” first.
Rasmus Hojlund, who scored both of United’s goals on Thursday, and Amad Diallo were named the two forwards for Sunday’s Premier League derby at Etihad Stadium.
Rashford has been the subject of rumours of a move during January’s transfer window, with Bayern Munich, Marseille and Paris St-Germain among the teams reportedly interested.
Garnacho has got three league goals this season but has not scored since Amorim joined the club on Nov. 11.
(Reporting by Lori Ewing; editing by Clare Fallon)
