Ruben Amorim lists form and dress sense behind Rashford and Garnacho Manchester United squad omissions

Ruben Amorim suggested clothing and lifestyle choices contributed to Marcus Rashford and Alejandro Garnacho's exclusions from the Manchester United squad against Manchester City.

The Manchester Evening News revealed Rashford had been omitted from the squad before the team news was confirmed at 3.15pm and Garnacho was also absent. The pair, who were not injured, were ordered to train at United's Carrington training complex on Sunday morning, having been informed of their squad omissions on Saturday night.

United completed an extraordinary recovery to come from 1-0 down in the 88th minute to beat City 2-1 at the Etihad. As euphoric as United's celebrations were at their first derby victory at City since March 2021, the attention was still fixed on Rashford and Garnacho at Amorim's post-match press conference.

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"It’s important to say why: was not a disciplinary thing," Amorim explained. "Next week, next game, new life, they are fighting for their places.

"But for me, it’s important: the performance in training, the performance in game, the way you dress, the way you eat, the way you engage with teammates, the way you push your teammates, everything is important in our context in the beginning of something when when we want to change a lot of things.

"When people in our club are losing their jobs we have to put the standards really high and for that they have to fight for a place in the team. And today the team proved we can leave anyone out of the squad and manage to win if you play together."

Rashford, 27, was disciplined twice last season for attending a birthday party on Deansgate hours after United's derby defeat to City in October 2023 and embarking on a bender in Belfast days before United's season resumed in January.

"I’m going to say again was not a disciplinary thing," Amorim reiterated. "It’s the small details. You can see the games like I see, there are some things that have to change.

"But it is a new life, it’s not a disciplinary thing, it’s the performance in training, the performance in game and I have to choose players. Jonny Evans did everything right, he was at home, and he is really important for us.

"If it was disciplinary, I would say that here and it will be a bigger problem but was not that. Sometimes I want to improve my players and you understand that for so long.

"We tried for example with Rash, it does not work. Let’s continue to do the same thing or try something different? So it’s as simple as that. If they train well with the talent they have we will be so much better with them.

"But they have to work hard, they do, today they trained really hard. New week, new life, let’s see.

"You can dress in a way that I don’t like, really don’t like, but it’s not a disciplinary thing. It’s the small details. But the performance in training and games, then I have to choose. That’s it. New week, new life. That’s it."