Football
Arindam Rej, Man United Correspondent 7y

Man United's Henrikh Mkhitaryan travels for Fenerbahce clash

Henrikh Mkhitaryan has been named in Manchester United's 21-man travelling squad for the Europa League game away to Fenerbahce on Thursday.

Former Borussia Dortmund midfielder Mkhitaryan has not played for United since the derby defeat against Manchester City on Sept. 10.

Manager Jose Mourinho had said on Friday that the player was training and "needs time to become the top player we know he can be" before leaving him out of the matchday squad against Burnley on Saturday.

Mkhitaryan will now hope to be selected in the 18-man matchday squad against Fenerbahce, with a place either in the starting XI or among the substitutes.

Phil Jones is also among the travelling party after returning to training following knee ligament damage, but Memphis Depay and Michael Carrick are notable absentees. Carrick's exclusion could be a sign that he is being rested ahead of Sunday's Premier League game against Swansea City, with Ander Herrera suspended.

Bastian Schweinsteiger, who was allowed to resume first-team training this week, has also stayed behind as he has not been registered in United's Europa League squad.

Discussing Mkhitaryan's recent absence, former United defender Rio Ferdinand told the Evening Standard: "I don't know what's happened to Mkhitaryan. Does anyone know where he is?

"By all accounts, he is fit and training well but you don't see him in a Manchester United shirt. They paid Borussia Dortmund £26 million to get him in the summer and for that money, I would actually like to see him play football."

Speaking about Carrick, Ferdinand said: "For me, Carrick has to play more. He can feed the attacking players quicker and more precisely than anyone else in that squad."

The former England defender also singled out defender Chris Smalling as a player who "needs to become the dominant centre-back this season" and said that the team needs to help striker Zlatan Ibrahimovic "get out of this rut."

Squad: De Gea, Romero, Johnstone; Blind, Jones, Darmian, Fosu-Mensah, Rojo, Shaw; Fellaini, Herrera, Mkhitaryan, Lingard, Mata, Pogba, Schneiderlin, Young; Ibrahimovic, Martial, Rashford, Rooney.

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