Jose Mourinho has refused to expand on his reasons for stripping Paul Pogba of the vice-captaincy or the trigger for a tense exchange between the pair at training but did warn “no player is bigger than the club.”
“He’s a player like the others, no player is bigger than the club and if I’m happy with his work he plays, if I’m not happy he doesn’t play,” Mourinho said.
“I’m happy with his work this week, really happy.
“Manchester United is bigger than anyone and I have to defend that.”
Mourinho and Pogba’s training ground confrontation has come amid a turbulent week at the club. On Tuesday, sources told ESPN FC that Pogba had been stripped of the United vice-captaincy — something Mourinho then confirmed following a shock defeat to Derby in the Carabao Cup.
Senior Manchester United players were said to be angry and frustrated following Mourinho’s comments.
Sources have said that the confrontation between Pogba and Mourinho was because of an Instagram post sent by the 25-year-old during the Carabao Cup exit to Derby.
“I cannot tell you [what it was about],” Mourinho said when asked about the cause.
“The training session was open, you had some cameras with some potential to get some of the words, maybe you have to change the potential if you want to know everything that is said because I’m not going to comment, it was a conversation.”
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