Farcical report claims Mkhitaryan is frustrated at Man Utd

Henrikh Mkhitaryan is ‘frustrated’ at not being played in his favourite position at Manchester United, according to reports on Wednesday morning.

The Armenian made his first start for the club in Saturday’s 2-1 defeat to Manchester City – but was substituted at the break after an ineffective performance.

Now The Sun claims the Armenian has expressed his frustration at being asked to play in a wide right position in the three behind Zlatan Ibrahimovic, with Jesse Lingard and Wayne Rooney starting alongside him on Saturday.

United improved after the break following the withdrawal of both Mkhitaryan and Lingard, with United boss Jose Mourinho insisting he himself was to blame for picking the wrong team.

Although Mkhitaryan was an obvious disappointment in the game, suggestions that the player is unhappy at his failure to start in the ‘No 10 role’ for United suggests a painful lack of research.

The Sun incorrectly claims Mkhitaryan, who last term was voted best player in the Bundesliga after scoring 11 times with 15 assists, operated mainly from his favoured No 10 role.

However, research into the Armenian’s role at Dortmund last season shows the player started 24 times on the right side of a forward three – the position he struggled in on Saturday, while he made 21 starts on the left and just 7 in his ‘favoured No 10 role’.

Without any concrete evidence, it’s safe to say reports of Mkhitaryan’s ‘frustrations’ are a little wide of the mark, and if the player is indeed feeling some anger, it’s likely to be at his own ineffectiveness when given his first start for the club.