Alejandro Garnacho's benching explained as Man Utd star dropped for Southampton clash after 'liking' Cristiano Ronaldo comments on Erik ten Hag

Garnacho was not included in United's XI against Southampton, with Marcus Rashford preferred on the left of Ten Hag's attack. There were rumours that the reason for his exclusion was his liking of a social media post that shared Cristiano Ronaldo's criticism of the Dutch manager, but it has now been reported that is not the case.

Fabrizio Romano reports that the reason for Garnacho's benching is a tactical one. Indeed, the Argentina international has only started one game this season, against Liverpool, and came off the bench in their opening two fixtures versus Fulham and Brighton.

The 20-year-old was one of the most effective players in United's squad last season, as he scored seven Premier League goals and provided four assists. He managed to score three braces in that run, too.

After United's clash with Southampton, they kick off their League Cup campaign against Barnsley in midweek. They then return to Premier League action against Crystal Palace at Selhurst Park next weekend.