It’s not been an ideal start to life at Man Utd for summer signing Fred, and his teammates are reportedly shocked and baffled with his lack of involvement.
As noted by Sky Sports, it’s been reported that the Red Devils splashed out £52m on the Brazilian international this past summer to bolster their midfield.
SEE MORE: Man Utd team news: Late blow for Mourinho vs Fulham, key figure tipped to sit out
However, Fred has been limited to just 10 appearances in all competitions so far this season, as he went from a regular starter in the first three games of the Premier League campaign to a bit-part player who has been left out of eight of the last 12 league outings.
As seen in the video below, Mourinho explained on Friday that it’s unlikely his summer signing will get a more prominent role until the team has tightened up defensively, which raised further question marks over why he was then ultimately United’s only marquee signing this summer if other areas needed to be prioritised.
Now, as per UOL Esporte in Brazil, it’s claimed that the United dressing room has been left shocked and baffled as to why Mourinho hasn’t used Fred more often so far this season, with the ‘most important players’ involved in that.
It can be argued that they have a valid point, if the report is accurate. Man Utd spent a lot of money on Fred this past summer, and he’s proven what he can offer with Shakhtar Donetsk and the Selecao.
If regarded as an important part of the team, then surely the logical thing for Mourinho to do is to continue to integrate him and help the team grow as the season progresses. Instead, he has been left out more times than he has featured in recent weeks, and it remains to be seen when that situation changes.
Is Fred still adapting to the @PremierLeague?
“The day we are stronger defensively, I think the horizons for Fred change completely.” ?
Jose Mourinho promises Fred more @ManUtd playing time – when defence is better: https://t.co/gB4aBXOn5b pic.twitter.com/ox5cLTrvb4
— Sky Sports Premier League (@SkySportsPL) December 7, 2018
