Alejandro Garnacho has been drafted back into the Manchester United squad for the Carabao Cup quarter-final clash against Tottenham Hotspur on Thursday night. However, Marcus Rashford was nowhere to be seen when the team headed south bound.
Both Garnacho and Rashford were left out of the matchday squad for the Premier League win over Manchester City on Sunday and they were instructed to train at Carrington instead. The former was spotted with a snood covering his mouth and a black beanie hat as he met up with his teammates for the trip to north London on Wednesday afternoon.
Yet, Rashford was missing when the United players assembled at the airport car park and then Stockport Station. Rashford had expressed his desire to leave United in an interview on Tuesday, after reporting sick for training on Monday.
The United squad had Tuesday off, courtesy of head coach Ruben Amorim. The club is yet to comment on Rashford's fitness. After the City game, Amorim confirmed that both Garnacho and Rashford could be back in contention for the Spurs match.
"We have one more training," Amorim said on Wednesday morning, as quoted by the Manchester Evening News. "But it's the same situation of all the other players. If they train well then I have to make a choice. We will see see at the end of training. Of course [I expect a reaction]. I expect the best of each player every day so we will see after training."
After United's triumph over City, Amorim clarified the situation regarding Rashford and Garnacho's absence from the lineup. The Portuguese tactician said: "It is important to say why, it was not a disciplinary thing. Next week, next game new life, they are fighting for their places."
He emphasised the importance of all aspects of a player's conduct, adding: "But for me it is important the performance in training, the performance in games, the way you dress, the way you eat, they way you engage with your teammates, the way you push your team-mates.
"Everything is important in our context in the beginning of something when we want to change a lot of things, when people in our club are losing their jobs, we have to put the standards really high."
Amorim added that players must earn their spots on the team, highlighting that the squad's unity was key to their victory. He said: "For that, they have to fight for their place in the team and today the team we proved we can leave anyone outside the squad and manage to win if you play together.
"I'm going to say again it was not a disciplinary thing. It's the small details. You can see the games like I see, there are some things that have to change. But it is a new life, it's not a disciplinary thing, it's the performance in training, the performance in game and then I have to change, to choose players."
He concluded by addressing the issue of discipline directly. Amorim said: "If it was disciplinary, I would say that here and it will be a bigger problem but it was not that. It was just that I want to improve my players and you understand that for so long, for example with Rash, we tried a thing and it doesn't work. Let's continue to do the same thing or try something different?"
Amorim has laid down the gauntlet for his United squad, insisting that hard work in training will be key to their success. He said: "So it's as simple as that. If they train well with the talent they have we will be so much better with them. Both of them. But they have to work hard, they do, today they trained really hard so it's a good thing. New week, new life, let's see the next one."
Noussair Mazraoui has recovered from a knock he sustained against City to be available for selection.