Manchester United head coach Ruben Amorim has explained why Marcus Rashford is still being overlooked, claiming that he would rather put his goalkeeping coach on the bench instead of a player who does not give 100%.
Rashford was again absent for Man United's Premier League clash with Fulham on Sunday evening, with the forward not making the trip down to London with his teammates.
The 27-year-old has not represented the Red Devils since December 12 due to poor performances in training and his general demeanour around the club.
Amorim was asked about the Englishman's ongoing absence after the 1-0 win over Fulham, and the Portuguese said that "it is the same situation".
The Man United head also suggested that Rashford is still not applying himself properly in training, claiming that his goalkeeper coach would be on the bench over a player who is not pushing in the same direction as his teammates.
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Amorim: 'No change in Rashford situation'
"It is the same situation. If things don't change, I will not change. I will put (Jorge) Vital (United goalkeeper coach) before I put a player who does not give the maximum every day. I will not change in that department," he told reporters after the win over Fulham.
Rashford continues to be linked with a move away from Man United, with Barcelona and Juventus believed to be contenders to sign him in the latter stages of the January window.
However, the forward's substantial wages, which are in the region of £315,000 a week, make an exit complicated, even on loan.
Rashford is believed to be willing to take a pay cut in order to secure a move to Barcelona, but the Catalan outfit first need to free up space in their budget.
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Amorim opens up on "really important" win
Amorim also hailed the victory over Fulham, which was secured courtesy of a deflected effort from Lisandro Martinez in the latter stages of the contest.
"That feeling of winning and three points is really important for us. You cannot see a great improvement in the team and that is a fact. But to win helps us to improve. We've had some lack of luck in some games. Today, was not the best match but we managed to win," he told BBC Sport.
"The important thing is I have a clear idea of what I want to do. Sometimes I'm frustrated. We want to play a different style and we are going to play different style in the future."
In a separate interview with TNT Sports, Amorim was also full of praise for the away fans at Craven Cottage: "They deserve it. It is amazing and it is not normal. I know you guys are used to this environment here, but it is not normal. It is a big privilege to win for this club and give them wins. We want to give them wins and today we did it."
Man United will round off their Europa League league-phase campaign with a clash against FCSB on Thursday night before hosting Crystal Palace in the Premier League next Sunday.
Matt Law
