POGBA STRIPPED OF ARMBAND AFTER BARCA PLEA

PAUL POGBA has been stripped of the Manchester United captaincy after telling Jose Mourinho he wants to join Barcelona. The France midfielder has led United three times this season, but Mourinho believes it’s no longer acceptable for a player pushing for a move to wear the armband. The squad were told of the decision at their Carrington training base hours before the Carabao Cup defeat by Derby last night. Pogba, the club’s £89million record signing, watched from the stands (right) as his team-mates suffered a cup giantkilling. ‘The only truth is that I made the decision for Paul not to be the second captain any more,’ said Mourinho. ‘It was the same person who decided Paul was the second captain. No fallout at all. Just decisions I do not have to explain.’ Mourinho’s relationship with Pogba has become increasingly strained over the last 18 months and it’s understood the pair have been in contact by text message in recent weeks as speculation grows over the 25-year-old’s future at United. Pogba had already informed executive vice-chairman Ed Woodward of his wish to go after his agent Mino Raiola struck a deal with Barca over personal terms in the summer. Woodward wants to keep him, but Mourinho’s decision to effectively downgrade the player will only make that more difficult. Pogba’s behaviour has been a cause for concern among Mourinho and his coaching staff for some time. They were unhappy he was playing loud music on the top deck of the team bus on the way to Saturday’s game with Wolves at Old Trafford when they felt there should have been a quieter focus on the match. Pogba has also raised eyebrows by reporting for duty at the team’s Lowry Hotel base in a chauffeur-driven Rolls-Royce. He was driven away from Burnley and straight to the airport to join up with the France squad after United’s win at Turf Moor earlier this month, while the rest of his team-mates went on the bus. A club insider said ‘you could cut the atmosphere between Mourinho and Pogba with a knife’ before that game. Pogba appeared to criticise Mourinho by urging United to ‘attack, attack, attack’ after the draw with Wolves. ‘We are here to attack,’ he said. ‘That was our mistake today.’