Jose Mourinho confirmed Paul Pogba would play for Manchester United at West Ham on Saturday but warned “no player is bigger than the club”.
The 25-year-old Frenchman’s Old Trafford future has been the subject of yet more speculation this week.
Mourinho took the vice-captaincy off Pogba in the build-up to Tuesday’s Carabao Cup defeat to Derby and the following morning remarkable footage emerged of a heated training-ground conversation between the pair.
The Portuguese would not explain what was said in the exchange that made ripples around the footballing world, but confirmed that the World Cup winner would start at the London Stadium.
“I explained to the people that needed to know in detail, which is the squad and especially Paul,” Mourinho said of the decision regarding the vice-captaincy.
“So, Paul and the other players in the squad, they know in detail the reason why myself and my coaching staff decided to do that.
“I always analyse a player as a player. When a player is captain, I analyse the player by the player perspective but also by the captain perspective.
“And after weeks of analysing and changing opinions with my coaching staff, we made the decision that from now Paul is just a player and not a captain.
“So, decision made, I informed obviously the player and the players, and then when I was asked I think before the match on Tuesday, I confirmed it (publicly), and now end of the story.
“And I can anticipate more questions by saying that the relation of player (and) manager is good. It’s not any more a relation (of) captain or one of the captains and manager. It’s just a relation, player-manager, it’s good.
“Nobody trained better than Paul on Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday and Friday. Nobody trained better than him. Some trained as well as him but not better than him, and tomorrow he plays, so end of the story.”
Asked if he had thought about not playing the midfielder on Saturday, Mourinho said: “No, 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.”