I’ll prove I deserve to be at United
MKHITARYAN’S MESSAGE TO JOSE
HENRIKH MKHITARYAN has vowed to stay at Manchester United and win over Jose Mourinho.
Mkhitaryan has been exiled by the United boss following his £26.3million summer move from Borussia Dortmund.
The attacking midfielder, voted Bundesliga Player of the Year last season, has failed to impress Mourinho (right) since a disastrous 45-minute outing in United’s 2-1 derby defeat to Manchester City in September.
Since that wretched first half against City, Mkhitaryan has featured just once for United, as an 81st-minute substitute in last week’s 2-1 Europa League defeat against Fenerbahce in Istanbul.
After that loss, Mourinho repeated his view Mkhitaryan must “do more” to prove he deserves to command a regular starting place for United.
The Armenia international, 27, did not feature in United’s 18-man match-day squad that beat Swansea 3-1 last Sunday, to end a run of four Premier League games without a win.
But Mkhitaryan, speaking in his native Armenia after being appointed a goodwill ambassador for UNICEF, said he will do all he can to show he can succeed at United – and prove Mourinho wrong. “It’s true that I get little time on the field, but I’m not going to give in,” said Mkhitaryan.
“I went a long way to play for Manchester United, so nothing will prevent me from achieving my dream.
“I will not retreat, I will find the strength to reach my goal.”
Mkhitaryan is one of several players battling to save their United futures, with teammates Chris Smalling and Luke Shaw also having been criticised by the Special One for their perceived poor attitude.
Mourinho named and shamed Smalling and Shaw for supposedly being unwilling to play through the pain barrier at Swansea, after the pair declared themselves unavailable for selection at the Liberty Stadium.
Smalling has been affected by a foot problem, which required him to take two painkilling injections before United’s 4-0 loss at Chelsea, while Shaw has been suffering with issues arising from the horror double leg break he suffered in September 2015.
Both are absent from the England squad as a result of those physical issues, but Mourinho is known to feel both could have played at Swansea and shown their mental toughness, rather than opting not to play.