The cull is underway.
Jose Mourinho wants to work with a tight squad of 24 players at Manchester United, and has told those on the fringes they are free to leave the club, according to The Daily Mail.
Mourinho used just 22 players when Chelsea won the Premier League title in 2015, and wants to mirror that approach at Old Trafford. Louis van Gaal, the 53-year-old’s predecessor at United, used 33 players last season.
However, Mourinho reportedly wants to avoid having any players hanging around the club frustrated by a lack of game time.
He is understood to have told those who are not part of his plans that they can leave the club, or train with the U21s.
The players being ostracised are understood to be: Juan Mata, Bastian Schweinsteiger, Marouane Fellaini, Daley Blind, Marcos Rojo, Adnan Januzaj, Donald Love, Paddy McNair, Will Keane, Guillermo Varela and James Weir.
No United fan will be surprised to see Mata, Blind or Schweinsteiger amongst the casualties.
Here’s the 24 players Mourinho reportedly wants to work with next season, including Paul Pogba, the Juventus midfielder, who is understood to be the subject of a record bid from United.
Goalkeepers: David de Gea, Sergio Romero, Sam Johnstone.
Defenders: Phil Jones, Antonio Valencia, Matteo Darmian, Luke Shaw, Chris Smalling, Timothy Fosu-Mensah, Cameron Borthwick-Jackson, Eric Bailly.
Midfielders: Henrikh Mkhitaryan, Paul Pogba, Ander Herrera, Memphis Depay, Michael Carrick, Morgan Schneiderlin, Ashley Young, Lingard, Andreas Pereira.
Forwards: Zlatan Ibrahimovic, Wayne Rooney, Marcus Rashford, Anthony Martial.
