Manchester United midfielder Henrikh Mkhitaryan is in line to play at least the whole second half or potentially even start in the must-win Europa League clash with Feyenoord at Old Trafford on Thursday having been left out of the squad altogether for Saturday's meeting with Arsenal.
The £26m summer signing played 29 minutes against Fenerbahce at the start of the month, his first action since early September, and manager Jose Mourinho has revealed his belief that there was too much pressure on Mkhitaryan to risk using him against the Gunners.
"I told him [on Saturday] that he is going to be involved in the game against Feyenoord," the United boss explained as he addressed the media ahead of the Dutch team's visit.
"He is trying. Obviously he is not happy but he is transforming his frustration in a good way, which is to close the mouth, work hard and try to adapt," Mourinho said of the player's disappointment to be completely overlooked for one of the biggest fixtures of the season.
"I told him 'this was not the game for you' because I don't think he needs 10 or 20 minutes from the bench. I said 'I think you need a good game and you need to either start or, if not, to come for the second half'.
"He needs less pressure and better conditions for him to express his qualities."
Mkhitaryan, voted 2015/16 Players' Player of the Season by his Bundesliga former opponents in May, has so far started just once in a United shirt since making the highly anticipated switch from Borussia Dortmund in late July.
That came against Manchester City, a game during which he was still carrying an injury sustained while on international duty for Armenia a few days earlier, and he lasted until just half-time before being hauled off following a poor performance.
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