Marcus Rashford, Alejandro Garnacho dropped for Manchester derby; Ruben Amorim explains selection

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Marcus Rashford and Alejandro Garnacho have been left out of the Manchester United squad for the derby meeting with Manchester City on Sunday.

Both players had featured in all 15 of United’s Premier League games so far this season, with Rashford starting 12 of them and Garnacho 10.

Rasmus Hojlund, Mason Mount and Amad have instead been preferred on the forwards by head coach Ruben Amorim.

Joshua Zirkzee, a starter against Viktoria Plzen in the Europa League on Thursday, is on the bench for the match at the Etihad Stadium.

Amorim says both players were told via WhatsApp ahead of the match and both “trained well” on Sunday morning, as is the normal routine for players not involved in the match squads.

“Selection,” the Portuguese boss said when asked by Sky Sports to explain the pair’s absence. “We try to evaluate everything: training, performances, game performances, engagement with the teammates, pushing the teammates up. Everything is at stake when we analyze and try to select the players, so that’s my choice. Simple.

“I don’t want to send a message. It’s simply an evaluation and they know it. The players are really, really smart. Everyone understands my decision. I have to choose. It’s just a simple choice.

“The context is difficult. We have to win games and we have a difficult situation. I pay attention to everything, the way you eat, the way you wear your clothes to play. All. I make my assessment and then I have to decide. I have a lot of players to choose from.”

Rashford and Garnacho have both been left out by Amorim (Richard Pelham/Getty Images)

Amorim had challenged Rashford to continue producing after scoring twice against Everton earlier this month, saying: “He can play so much better, just like the other guys can.”

“(Amorim) is definitely demanding, but provides encouragement to bring your strengths into the game. That’s when you get a really good team performance,” Rashford said in response.

“Hopefully we can build on this and keep pushing. We have to keep pushing every day to meet his demands.”

Rashford was left out of the starting line-up for a November 2022 match at Wolves by then manager Erik ten Hag for “internal disciplinary” reasons.

It later emerged that he had overslept and been late for a meeting, which was deemed a breach of team rules.

Ten Hag went on to bring Rashford on at half-time with the game goalless before the striker scored the game’s decisive goal in a 1-0 win.

Rashford has played 24 times in all competitions for United this season, scoring seven goals and adding three assists.

United head to the home of their rivals in 13th place in the Premier League table, eight points behind Pep Guardiola’s fifth-placed side.

(Top photo: Ash Donelon/Manchester United via Getty Images)