Jose Mourinho has told Anthony Martial to follow Henrikh Mkhitaryan’s lead if he wants to reclaim his Manchester United place.
While Mkhitaryan came on as a substitute to score his third goal in three games with a stunner against Sunderland on Boxing Day, Martial made a less notable appearance off the bench.
His displays this season have lacked the cutting edge of his first United campaign after a £36million move from Monaco and the 21-year-old France winger is known to be frustrated.
He has made just 12 starts this season, prompting West Ham and Sevilla to make tentative enquiries about taking him on loan next month. But manager Mourinho wants Martial to stay and follow the example of Mkhitaryan, whose United career has taken off after a difficult start.
Henrikh Mkhitaryan scores that magical goal to give his team a 3-0 win over Sunderland at Old Trafford on Boxing Day. Picture: Reuters
‘Mkhitaryan understood the difference between me and other coaches he had,’ Mourinho told French channel SFR Sport. ‘He worked a lot without playing.
‘People forget that Anthony is very, very young. He needs a little time but he’s a great kid. He’s a good professional so I have no fears - I’m sure he will be there.
‘Last season Manchester United played completely different. He was basically playing up front. The team had lots of passive ball possession, waiting just for a moment to put it into space for Anthony to go and score a goal.
‘We have so many good players in similar positions. I cannot give him four, five, six, seven matches in a row when I have others on the sidelines waiting for a chance.’