RUBEN AMORIM has a theory about who was behind Marcus Rashford's bombshell transfer interview, but the Manchester United boss will “forget it for now.”
Rashford declared he is “ready for a new challenge” after being dropped from Amorim's squad for the 2-1 win over Man City.
The forward has since failed to feature in United's next two matches, a 4-3 Carabao Cup defeat to Spurs and Sunday's 3-0 home defeat to Bournemouth in the Premier League.
And Amorim, who is backed by the United board, has also given no guarantee that Rashford will be involved in the tricky Boxing Day trip to Wolves.
There is speculation that the United youth product could be sold when the January transfer window opens.
Still, Amorim thinks there may be other forces at play.
Speaking to Sky Sports, the Portuguese boss hinted that Rashford's comments about leaving United may have come from within the player's camp.
Amorim said: “It's a difficult situation. I understand that these players have a lot of people around them who make choices that are not the player's first idea.
“I'm always here to help Marcus as another player. I gotta do what I gotta do.
“They chose to do the interview because it wasn't just Marcus. I understood that.
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“As a coach I focus on performance and the way you train. “For the rest, it's better for me and the club to deal with that when the time comes.”
However, Amorim did offer Rashford an olive branch, insisting he would 'forget the interview now'.
He added: “Right now I'm focusing on improving Marcus and we need a talented guy like Marcus.
“I'll forget about the interview now and see what I see on the field.”
It remains to be seen whether Rashford will feature again for United, with the forward having scored just four times in 15 league appearances this season.
Speaking to journalist Henry Winter earlier this month, the England ace revealed the time was right to pack his bags and leave Old Trafford for a fresh start elsewhere.
Rashford said: “For me personally, I think I am ready for a new challenge and the next steps.
“If I leave, there will be no hard feelings. You won't get any negative comments from me about Manchester United. That's me as a person.
“If I know a situation is already bad, I'm not going to make it worse.
“I've seen other players leave in the past and I don't want to be that person.
“When I leave, I will make a statement, and it will be mine. It's disheartening to be left out of a derby, but it happened, we won the game, so let's move on.
“It's disappointing, but I'm also someone who, as I get older, can deal with setbacks.
“What am I going to do about it? Sit there and cry about it? Or do my best the next time I'm available?”
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