Manchester United

Phil Jones, Brandon Williams, Axel Tuanzebe 'removed from Manchester United's training-ground dressing room'

By Matt Law, Football Editor | 04 September 2022

Jones, Williams, Tuanzebe 'removed from Man United's training-ground dressing room'

Phil Jones, Brandon Williams and Axel Tuanzebe have been removed from Manchester United's first-team training-ground dressing room, according to a report.

Phil Jones, Brandon Williams and Axel Tuanzebe have reportedly been moved from Manchester United's first-team training-ground dressing room to the Under-23s changing room.

All three players were linked with exits over the summer, but the transfer window closed with the trio remaining at Old Trafford.

Jones and Tuanzebe are down the pecking order in terms of the centre-back spots, with Lisandro Martinez, Raphael Varane, Victor Lindelof and Harry Maguire all ahead of them.

Williams is currently the third-choice left-back behind Tyrell Malacia and Luke Shaw, while he is only likely to receive minutes at right-back if Diogo Dalot and Aaron Wan-Bissaka are both injured.

According to The Sun, Man United's dressing room at their Carrington complex is only meant for 24 players, and the club's summer arrivals have seen Jones, Williams and Tuanzebe removed.

Manchester United's Axel Tuanzebe pictured in May 2021 © Reuters

The 20-time English champions brought six players to the club over the summer, with Malacia, Christian Eriksen, Martinez, Casemiro, Antony and Martin Dubravka all arriving.

Jones has been with the Red Devils since 2011, featuring on 229 occasions in all competitions, winning the Premier League, FA Cup, Community Shield and Europa League during his time at the club.

The Englishman spent almost two years on the sidelines with a knee injury between January 2020 and January 2022, though, which has seen his career stall.

Jones made five appearances for Man United last season, including four outings in the Premier League, but he is not in the plans of the club's new head coach Erik ten Hag moving forward.

The defender is in the final year of his contract at Old Trafford and is widely expected to spend the season with the club before leaving next June.

Everton's Andros Townsend in action with Manchester United's Brandon Williams on August 7, 2021 © Reuters

Williams, meanwhile, has made 50 first-team outings for the Red Devils, but he spent last season on loan at Norwich City in the Premier League, making 29 appearances.

The 22-year-old still has another two years left to run on his contract at Old Trafford and could leave next year if he is unable to make the breakthrough under Ten Hag.

Tuanzebe, like Jones, will be out of contract next June, and the 24-year-old could also seek pastures new when his deal with the Red Devils comes to an end.

The centre-back struggled during loan spells at Aston Villa and Napoli last season, while he has not turned out for Man United since the 2020-21 campaign.

Dalot, Varane, Martinez and Malacia have established themselves as Man United's first-choice back four in recent matches, with Shaw and club captain Maguire forced to watch on from the sidelines.