Fourty-four days ago, Marcus Rashford and Alejandro Garnacho turned up at Carrington for the footballing equivalent of detention. While their teammates were landing a memorable derby day win at the Etihad, Rashford and Garnacho were training on their own, having been banished from Ruben Amorim's squad. Since then, their fortunes have taken a very divergent path.

With the January transfer window entering its final week, Rashford remains out in the cold. He has been spotted just once, as an unused substitute against Newcastle United, and after Amorim's comments on Sunday night, the path bath to the first team for the 27-year-old looks more complicated than ever.

Rashford - aware that the avenues for a January move away are closing - is trying hard to mend bridges, at least publicly. He was at the Rangers game in midweek and posted a message praising his teammates for winning at Fulham on Sunday. A few minutes later, Amorim gave his most detailed - and cutting - answer so far when pressed on the absence of the academy graduate.

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"It’s always the same reason. The reasons is the training, the way I see what a footballer should do. In training, in life and it’s every day, every detail. So if things don’t change, I will not change," said Amorim.

The head coach then said he would rather put 63-year-old goalkeeping coach Jorge Vital on the bench ahead of a player who doesn't "give the maximum every day." United are keen to frame that comment as a generic warning, but it came in response to a question about Rashford.

Amorim turns 40 on Monday, and his players were planning to get him to run through the 'tunnel' at training, slapping him on the head as he goes by. After those comments, it will be fascinating to see Rashford's involvement in that celebration.

If anything, they made it even more vital that the club and player find an exit before the window closes on January 3. If Rashford hasn't lived up to Amorim's ideals over the previous six weeks, it's difficult to see how anything can change now. This is a relationship that looks broken beyond repair.

The problem is that Rashford is getting the offers from the club he wants and United aren't getting the interest that would satisfy their demands for the majority of his £325,000-a-week wages to be paid. With a week of the window left, there is a desire to strengthen Amorim's squad, but that can only happen if money is raised elsewhere. Getting a significant chunk of Rashford's salary off the wage bill, even via a loan move, would help that, but time is running out.

That is why United continue to toy with the idea of selling Garnacho instead. His exile extended to just one game, and Amorim has been pleased with the 20-year-old's response. He returned as a substitute at first, but has now started four of the last five games and is beginning to look a real threat again.

With Chelsea and Napoli circling and Garnacho one of the club's sellable assets, Amorim was asked about his future at Fulham. 'That, nobody knows. Anything can happen," he said.

His answer about the effort the Argentine is making to fit into a new system that doesn't require wingers was more illuminating.

"He is improving in every part of the game: the understanding, when to defend," said Amorim. "I am trying to find the best position for him. Today he played a bit open, not so inside. We need guys who can play one v one."

It's difficult to read that quote and believe Amorim is on board with selling Garnacho, even if a club does offer £65million. It would be an almighty gamble for United to take the cash.

Rashford is the attacker that Amorim and United want shot of. If they can recoup a sizeable chunk of his wages, it opens up recruitment avenues. But with the clock ticking on the winter window, they are having to consider waving Garnacho off instead.

But if the clock strikes 11pm next Monday and Rashford remains at Old Trafford and Garnacho is gone, it would be impossible to label this a successful window.