When Manchester United confirmed their 20-man squad for Sunday's Manchester derby with Manchester City, no-one expected to see Marcus Rashford and Alejandro Garnacho missing.

After The Manchester Evening News revealed the starting XI had been leaked on Saturday night and that Rashford had been omitted, Ruben Amorim's decision to leave out Garnacho as well has left spectators confused.

"Selection," Amorim replied when asked about the duo's exclusion. "We tried to evaluate everything. Training, performance, game performance. Engagement with the team-mates, push the team-mates up. Everything is on the line when we analyse and try to choose the players. So, my selection - simple.

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"I don't want to send a message, it is simply an evaluation and they know it. The players are really, really smart and so everybody understands my decision and I have to choose. It's just simple selection.

"Of course the context is difficult, we have to win games and we have a difficult situation now, but like I said, I pay attention to everything.

"The way you eat, the way you put your clothes to go to the game. Everything. I make my evaluation and then I have to decide. I have a lot of players to choose and today I made my choice.

"It's the same all the time, they all understand there's a communication that after the last training is going to the WhatsApp and then they receive the information. They are alright, they had training this morning, I was there because it is important for every player - even Jonny Evans because Jonny Evans also and Toby (Collyer) was there - I was there during training and everything was OK. They trained really well."

Much has been made of Rashford's future at Man United. Reports this week had suggested they were open to selling him in the future amid concerns over his 'lifestyle'. The England international had shown some signs of his best in Amorim's first week with three goals in three games but his career in Manchester now seems unclear.

Garnacho's omission is much more surprising. The Argentina international hasn't been out of a matchday squad since the 1-0 away win at Burnley in September 2023 and has played every game under Amorim.

What it means in the long-term, who knows. But it is a huge message from the new United boss with the January transfer window around the corner. A big sale in the winter window isn't something United are known for doing and if either player were to leave, it would be in the summer, but it could be the new era at Old Trafford stamping a mark.

Garnacho, 20, is one of the most-exciting players at the club. The winger's ability on the ball and trickery has proved to be a problem for defenders. The prospect of Rashford leaving is not a surprising one when you consider the problems surrounding him, but trouble for Garnacho is something no-one saw coming.