Marcus Rashford issued a quick message after sitting out Manchester United's win at Fulham, with Ruben Amorim making inflammatory comments about the striker.
Lisandro Martinez's goal secured a 1-0 win for Amorim's side on a night when strikers Rasmus Hojlund and Joshua Zirkzee again failed to impress, raising questions over whether Rashford could make a shock recall get if he doesn't leave.
But Amorim instead directed an astonishing attack on the 27-year-old, declaring that he would prefer to play against his 63-year-old goalkeeping coach Jorge Vital.
Rashford has not featured in the last 11 games and has yet to secure a loan move from Old Trafford despite talks with several clubs.
The last time the forward pulled on a United jersey was in the Europa League win over Viktoria Plzen on December 12, and Rashford was promptly dropped entirely for the Manchester derby due to his attitude in training.
Amorim also confirmed that this is still the reason behind Rashford's absence, but his uncertain future has not stopped him from continuing to support his boyhood club.
Taking to Instagram after the win at Craven Cottage, they fell four points behind the top half of the table. Rashford wrote: 'Congratulations on the win guys.'
Rashford revealed he was 'ready for a new challenge' during an impressive interview in December – and Barcelona and Borussia Dortmund are among those excited.
Amorim is unsure whether the striker will leave this month and Mail Sport understands his £315,000-a-week pay package is proving to be a stumbling block.
When asked last night why the player was unavailable, Amorim said: “It's always the same reason: the training, the way I think a footballer should do in life.
'It's every day, every detail.
'If things don't change, I won't change. It's the same situation for every player. If you do the maximum and the right things, we can use every player.
'On the bench you can see that we lack some speed on the bench, but I would put Vital ahead of a player who does not give the maximum every day.'
Asked whether the situation will change if Rashford is still at United after deadline day next week, Amorim added: 'It's the same situation for every player. If you do the maximum, if you do the right things, we can use every player.'
Sources close to Rashford have insisted he has no issues with Amorim and is open to playing for the club again. He has also completed additional training.
United have struggled for goals this season, with both Hojlund and Zirkzee scoring just one goal since early December.
Hojlund started at Craven Cottage but was hooked after 58 minutes before receiving more criticism for his performance, while Zirkzee failed to register a shot on target.
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